Not Until It Is Finished
by WishingAgain
Summary: Even after Esther has been crowned Albion's Queen, Contra Mundi is planning to destroy the world as we speak. Sooner or later, Esther will have to confront her enemy, as well as her feelings. Will get steamy soon! Sorry, currently on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

A short time after the new Albion Queen's coronation, the Earl of Memphis snuck out from the Empire to meet with Ex-Agent Nightroad. Earlier, Abel had sent the Earl a note, mentioning a rendezvous point.

No longer was Abel Nightroad a member of the AX Organization. He had dropped out recently knowing that Caterina had become sucked into false conspiracies and had taken the ever-obedient Tres with her to join a different organization. Which one, Abel did not know, though he still hoped for his old friends' safety. From then, he had close connections with his Krusnik sister under the name Augustus Vladica, although he mainly stayed within the Vatican and its affairs.

"So, will you join me?" Abel questioned the young Methusulah seriously.

"Now that I know that the Orden and Contra Mundi exists, then of course!" He replied immediately. "We must do something before it gets out of hand again."

Abel fingered his new armor, his brow furrowed with thought. Ion Fortuna peered into his face.

"What are you thinking now?" The Earl asked, not minding the vicious wind that tore at his cloak.

"Well, there is one thing. I believe the Orden is planning to take over Albion soon in order to take all of its weapons. He knows where Seth stands in the Empire, so I'm sure he is aiming for the weapons capital. I've seen vague blueprints from a data cube found in Cain's deserted hideout."

"Then what about Esther?" Ion frowned.

"That's what's bothering me." He turned to Ion, eyes hard. "We have to make sure she's safe before anything will happen! For all we know, they could even be targeting her."

"But we can't do anything that might scare the public. We can't interference either, since the government might become suspicious of any extraneous activity after the recent encounters with Contra Mundi." Ion furrowed his brow in thought.

"Then, I guess all we can do is watch over her with caution until necessary action is needed." Abel concluded.

Back at the throne chapel, Esther sat on the throne of Albion, smiling at the happy crowd before her. She had never shaken so many hands or spoken to so many people before, listening to all of their stories and news as to connect with her people.

"Thank God that our queen has finally taken the throne, and such a young, brave girl as well! I shall hope for a great future under your rule, your majesty." An old woman and her husband nodded eagerly at the blushing queen. "Not only that, but our Lady was actually recommended by the Pope himself!" They tittered.

"I thank you for your kind words. I owe everything that has happened now to my good friends, supporters, and God Himself. Peace be with you always." She replied.

As the old couple hobbled away with bright spirits, Esther heard a chuckle from her right. She took a glance to see Alessandro, the young pope, laughing and looking at her. He squeezed her hand.

"You will make a lovely queen. I trust you." He grinned. "Don't be so nervous."

Esther returned the smile, noticing how his freckled cheeks were pink with contentment. Apparently, her face was becoming quite flushed as well. She felt how sweaty and hot her body was becoming. Alec must have noticed her anxiety through her gloves, though she was surprised at how calm he became around people after his incident in the underground ghetto with Brother Petros.

"My Lady, would you like to retire for the evening?" A voice from her far left echoed. It was Virgil Walsh. He bowed gracefully to her, hand on his breast and wearing his best suit as well. "The celebration will still resume once your departure is announced, and our Lord, the Pope, can handle everything with Cardinal Medici's Inquisition on standby."

"Oh, yes please. I think I should leave now." Esther sighed heavily. "I'm not used to this and I'd like to rest before leaving for the Castle." A slight shudder came from the pope's hand, and she turned to see him with an anxious look on his face, like he used to have before his newfound confidence. "I'm sure you'll be fine, your Grace." Esther encouraged the nervous young man.

Virgil nodded to the Pope, and Alec complied. He ushered the crowd quiet before standing with Esther.

"Our Lady Queen will now retire for the evening. As always, we shall continue our coronation festival outside. I shall ask you personally to wish our Queen her first good night as the new leader of Albion."

With that, the crowd burst into applause and cheers as Alec raised her hand. Esther could feel her blood rush to her face, then found herself guided down the chapel aisle toward the doors by Virgil. Alessandro watched her walk away, waving meekly with her usual smile to the people. He didn't notice how his own hands tightened around the long sleeves of his robes as she glided past all the confetti on the floor.

"Good night, dear Esther." He whispered.

Once in her quarters, Esther sat on her huge soft bed, still donned in her enormous lace dress. Immediately, there was a knock on the door, and Vanessa stepped in, clad in a white shirt, dark vest, and black pants.

"Vanessa! How did-"

"Funny how connections between siblings occur," Vanessa cut in with her hand on her hips, "especially the ones who work in higher places. Anyways, you should stand up. It's easier to take off the dress that way."

"Oh, no thank you!" Esther waved her hand. "I can change myself."

"Nonsense!" Vanessa walked over and pulled the exhausted queen onto her feet and began unzipping her corset. "You are the Queen of Albion and I am your Lady-in-Waiting. Just get used to it, honey." She laughed as Esther pouted.

"Yea, I hope I do."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

***This chapter is very long...I am sorry, but one of the main reasons I even made a fanfiction (which to this day I still gag at when I say it out loud) is because I couldn't stand the bad writing that already infected . I want to show the community that there is still hope out there for decent grammar and spelling. I will still admit that I make mistakes too. Also, I hope you enjoy. If you have any suggestions or an idea you want me to write about, by all means, message me.

"Trouble!" Virgil shouted as he burst into the Queen's Quarters.

"Huh? What?" Esther sat up, then grunted in pain as her back cracked. "Oh, my back is sore, and I have a pounding headache…" She complained, rubbing her temples.

Virgil ignored the fact that she was only wearing a thin nightgown and continued. "Someone is buying out all of the shares of Albion's weapons industry!"

Her eyes widened and she gasped, as if she never noticed he previous pains. "WHAT?" She threw up the sheets and rushed over to the butler. "But that would mean that Albion is losing the only resource that keeps it as a world power! Who even has enough money to buy it all?"

"I don't know. Our investigators are looking into it as we speak, but we still have enough shares left to remain a world power. The only problem is how we can stay that way and get the other ones back, especially during this recession caused by the recent crashes in the market." Virgil replied.

Esther sat back down on the bed, exhaling deeply. A moment later, she spoke. "Does the public know? I can't let my people down only a day after I was crowned their queen." She gripped her sheets.

"No, they do not," he sighed, "but I fear that they will soon. For all we know, there could be spies among our own."

"Fine. I have no choice. Call Vanessa. I shall be ready soon enough to look more into this matter." She commanded. "Be quick, and have the economists and any other shareholders for resources have any paperwork or contracts done within the last few months ready as soon as possible. I need to know who is doing this."

Ever since she met Father Nighroad, she had made a promise to never cry again. But that wasn't all. In her heart, she knew she could not be the damsel in distress all the time and burden the ones that were important to her. After the Vatican, she knew how to investigate, to wield a weapon, and much more.

Surely, Esther did work with a team of Albion's specialists, including the great Mary Spencer. In one her of ships, she, Esther, and several other people were skimming through mountains of documents and recent activities made by companies in Albion.

"I don't understand!" Esther crumpled another report and threw it in the corner of the room, only to have it picked up by a nearby butler who neatly unfolded it and put it aside. "No one has made any deals! No one could possibly even afford any of the companies at the rate the world economy is going right now!"

Just then, Captain Spencer's eyes lit up. "That's it, my Queen!" Everyone looked at her incredulously. "It can't have happened now, but what if it happened a long time ago? Contracts are signed and kept within a time limit. What if these shares were to be given to the buyer weeks, months, or even years after they were bought?" Her eyes darted to the nearest researcher. "You! Get me all the records books of contracts from 10 years, no, 20 years ago that lost shares recently."

Soon, each person working on this case were all pulling up screens on the ship's mainframes, contacting the company bosses of Albion. The room hustled with chattering arguments and people running errands to and fro.

After many phone calls and page prints, everyone's hearts stopped as they presented the needed reports. Esther picked then up one at a time, eyes growing more and more wild with each one. The world's top industries men were watching from the screens as they dreaded the worst.

"Oh my god, these contracts were all…even this one…and this one," she pulled paper after paper from the desk to her eyes and back, "they were all signed by Dietrich, Von Kamphur, and other Orden members!"

"Why did these people even sell to Rozencruz?" Spencer slammed her fists on the table, causing the documents to fly about. "I knew Albion was desperate, but surely the world would have realized they were selling to the world's next homicidal maniacs!"

"No, it's not." Esther frowned. "That's only because the Orden was not a global threat until only recently, as opposed to years ago, and these contracts cannot be broken now." The Queen's hands hid her face, as she leaned on the table. "I know that Dietrich was once a Germanic Prince, and Isaac Von Kamphur already came from a wealthy family. Any other sources of money were probably easy to obtain, at least with what Dietrich could do." She gripped her head tightly, feeling tears drip down her nose and cheeks. "Even in death, you can't rest, can you, Dietrich?"

"Then what do we do?" Captain Spencer shouted at the defeated Queen. "What CAN we do? Just sit here and allow Albion to be taken over by a terrorist group?"

A moment later, Esther sat up looking at the angry captain with red eyes. The Captain recoiled back slightly, feeling guilty for the attack on the Queen.

"We have no choice. We have to make sure the people are safe. I believe we should relocate. The Orden now has access to hundreds of newer and more sophisticated weapons than ever before, as well as the old forbidden technologies kept underground, and they are Albion's best weapons, the most dangerous in the world! The next safest place compared to Albion would be where her majesty resides, Vladica's Empire, where their defense structures are the most advanced if ever they are threatened by the UV rays, biological weapons, and any other weapons of mass destruction. We MUST to relocate the people."

The room was quiet. Some people opened their mouths to argue, but then caught themselves, and resumed their silences. Within moments, mutters of agreement were heard.

"We really can't do anything, can we?" Spencer asked weakly. "Albion, home of generations and generations of your family, and mine, just gone like that?"

"I'm afraid so, Captain. But right now, we have hundreds of thousands of citizens to consider, so I propose a state of emergency. The other branches of Albion government are here, right? Do we agree?"

No words were said, but heads nodded. Many were hiding tears.

Meanwhile, Isaac Von Kamphur typed rapidly on a large computer panning an entire lab. In the center was a small pool with a dark viscous liquid rippling back and forth over the surface.

"Dietrich, get up here," the Methusulah spoke in singsong into his earpiece, "the contracts are now in position."

Thick bubbles popped out from the center of the pool. A large mechanical hand whirred over and dipped its long claws into the substance to pull out a slumped, dripping figure. Then, it set the black-dripping object into a wheelchair next to the pool. Brown hair stuck out at odd angles on the top of this figure, and it breathed erratically underneath an impressive amount of bandages.

"D-da..." the figure tried to speak past the bandages.

"Oh?" Isaac smiled. "What was that? I can't hear you very well. Have some etiquette and speak up, will you? After all, you are a prince."

"Damn...y-you...bas-t-tard." Dietrich panted, barely moving his mouth.

"Aww," Isaac cooed at the obviously-pained patient, "you should be glad that my Lord, Cain, changed his mind at the last minute. Furthermore, I believe you will be most enthusiastic with my new experiments with your body." He wheeled Dietrich over to the computer screen, pulling up some information on a separate window. "You see this, Dietrich?" He pointed to the data and diagrams.

Dietrich said nothing, but continued his labored breathing.

"Well, this is the bacillus that was found floating around Mars almost a thousand years ago during the Mars Project. This is what I have successfully incorporated into your body, though it took much more effort than I though since you died. You know what this makes you, right?"

Dietrich stared at the screen, eyes wide open and breathless. Then, he suddenly began writhing about, trying to look at Isaac.

"W-what...did..y-you...d—"he wheezed, unable to finish his sentence.

"Why," Isaac's face broke out into a menacingly-toothed grin, "I upgraded you into a Methuselah, of course."

Then, Isaac gestured toward the dark pool.

"This pool was created solely for the purpose of Lord Cain. It would stabilize his body to maintain his 100% Krusnik, but it works well with reviving a body as well. I decided that maybe you needed an extra something this time around, since you Terrans are so weak."

At the rendezvous, Ion gasped at Abel's conclusion. "Cain is trying to destroy the world?"

"But he can't if I exist. Now that we are perfectly matched, he will find a way to defeat me, in any way possible. He will probably target innocent people who I care for, but I am sure that Caterina and Seth are fine, as well as the rest of the broken AX branch. But, the one that worries me most is Esther."

"Well, what can we do then? We can't just take her away! She was crowned as Albion's Queen!" Ion threw up his hands.

"Well, not right now, we can't." Abel frowned, then he looked over to Ion and his face broke into a sly grin.

"Eh, what?" Ion asked, thoroughly puzzled at the Krusnik's expression.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

***This is where we begin the EstherXIsaac and EstherXIon. The first was really vague EstherXAlessandro. If you guys want more of that, then tell me. Also, do you guys want Radu back into the picture? I can arrange that for later chapters if you wish. I'm not all that hot for Virgil, but if anyone wants him, I'll personally arrange it.

Several weeks later, all of the inhabitants of Albion, including the Terrans living underground, were relocated to the Empire, though many were confused and did not leave without a fight. However, Esther had made sure that the Inquisition from the Vatican would help, and help without using any unnecessary force as defined by the haughty Knight Petros or his Commander-in-Chief, Cardinal Medici.

"It has been done, my Queen." Virgil reported to a worrying Esther during a rocky carriage ride back to an administration building. "Everyone from the last project has been moved. We are officially cleared. What are your orders now? Only a few people, including us, are left in Albion."

She sighed, looking out to the empty streets of the once glorious kingdom of Albion. Esther could feel her eyes welling up, so she kept her head down and her voice steady. "Virgil, I need you to leave to the Empire as well. Her Highness will make sure that you and your sister will be well taken care of. As for me, I will take the last ship to the Empire in a couple days. I have some personal business to take care of."

Before Virgil protest, the carriage stopped in front of ADMIN, the largest building for customs and other document processing located near the dock. Esther pushed Virgil's hand aside when he tried to open the door for her and stepped out of the carriage. As he tried to follow suit, she motioned him to sit back down.

"My queen-"

"Virgil, please stay on this carriage," Esther cut him off, "for it will go directly to the ship as soon as I reprogram it." She folded her hands neatly against her trenchcoat and bowed her head. "Furthermore, you no longer need to address me as such. I am just Esther now." Then, she closed the door, leaving her confused butler sticking his head out of the large curtained window. She walked around to the front of the carriage, pressing buttons to issue commands.

"Milad—no—Esther!" He cried as he tried to open the latch. "What are you doing? I can't leave you like this! Please!" However, his cries were futile as the carriage began rolling away after she confirmed the last entries. He started breathing heavily, unsure of what to do next. All he could see was the former Queen standing a ways from the behind the carriage, with a smile on her face and a trickle of tears.

"Good luck, my friend." She said to the echoing clatter of the carriage wheels. Then, she began to sob quietly, unable to keep her promise to the pries that always supported her. "I'm sorry, Father Nightroad. I can't stop crying…because I just lost everything."

When she finally finished, she straightened up, angry at herself for wasting precious time, and headed toward the ADMIN. Inside, she grabbed several documents from various counters and began filling them out. She also used the computers inside to input the new information she just filled out, copied, and sent to the government files.

Her plan was to change her name and then make sure that Esther Blanchett had never been seen again from that day forward in order to make sure that no one had intentionally targeted her. By changing some files from the ADMIN building Esther was able to erase Miss Blanchett and create an alias for her to live under: twenty-five years old, female, Emily Berington. She made herself older in order to open up more options if ever she needed a new career. Jobs nowadays checked ages very thoroughly. Furthermore, she needed a name that was plain and common, nothing fancy or noticeable.

Suddenly, a door closed quietly, creaking as it went. Esther stopped typing for just a moment. There shouldn't have been anyone left in Albion, let alone the ADMIN building. She used the touchpad to confirm her last entry before turning around slowly and peer around, quickly closing all window afterward.

"H-hello? Is anyone there?" She asked the emptiness nervously. Not a soul was in sight, and the door was closed too. Esther sighed. "It must have been a breeze."

Then, something wrapped around her waist, encasing her arms, and her mouth too. The grip was tight and firm, but it did not hurt her. Warm cotton pressed into her lips and she could taste a light, musky cologne.

"So, your Majesty," a voice whispered silkily into her ear, "I see you have been trying to escape our little plan."

She gasped upon hearing the familiar voice. The gloved hands and black sleeves belonged to a man well over six feet. His voice was low as he breathed into her ear, causing her to cringe, and he chuckled as he felt the vibrations travel down her small frame. Along the sleeves, she saw long strands of thick black hair.

Esther struggled free from her capturer's grip and turned around to face Von Kamphur. He had a malevolent smile pasted across his face, though he spoke gentlemanly, indicating sarcasm.

"Von Kamphur! What do you want?" Esther demanded as her arms unknowingly came up across her chest in feeble defense. "Why are you here?" She saw that his skin was shining, most likely due to anti-UV lubricant.

"Why, I think you of all people should know why I am here." He held up his arms as if to embrace her. "I needed to escort the lovely Miss Blanchett to my lord, Cain himself." Isaac took steps closer to the frightened girl, making her retreat toward the wall. " Consider yourself," he continued as he slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her, trapping her against the wall and his chest, "lucky."

By this time, she was already hyperventilating, unsure of what to do. Esther could feel his chest rumble as he chuckled darkly, his heart beating slowly and unevenly against her own rapid pulse. She cringed as he pulled his face up to her ear again and breathed slowly.

"Don't worry, you won't feel or remember a thing."

A second later, she felt his hand make contact with her body as he knocked the wind out of her. Esther's eyes widened and teared with pain before she fell unconscious. Isaac caught the frail figure as she slumped into his chest. He lifted her up gently, cradling her neck and back carefully and supporting her legs.

"She actually looks pretty, all anxious and scared like that." He laughed to himself as he carried her out.

However, Von Kamphur was greeted by two uninvited guests when a blade and a gun was pointed at his neck.

"Put her down," Ion hissed, his fangs showing, "and back away with your arms up."

Isaac scoffed. Angered, Ion pressed his steel blade into the Methuselah's neck, causing a slow trickle of blood to stain his white collar.

"Why is it," Isaac began, unfazed by the threat, "that when I try to do anything, you two get in the way?"

"I suggest you listen to the Earl." Abel said sternly. "You can't win here." He cocked his gun.

Isaac stood there, as if considering his "options". Then, he smiled.

"Don't touch Esther, you bastard!" Ion shouted indignantly, enraged at Isaac's indifference. He slashed out at him, unable to contain her anger any longer, but Isaac merely bounded away, girl and all.

"Ion, don't!" Abel cried, but to no avail. The young vampire's eyes were clouded with fury as he continued his attempt to rescue Esther. Abel groaned and deposited his gun back into its holster. Shooting at Isaac was impossible now, since he could hit Esther. All he could do was join Ion's onslaught, jumping into the air and kicking at Isaac at every chance he got in hopes of him releasing his precious cargo.

In a few bounds, Isaac spun around and pulled Esther upright. The sound of bones cracking came from his hand as he increased the length of his phalanges, sharpening them as well. He traced the white skin of his hostage and grinned back at his opponent. Surprised at Von Kamphur's cheap tactic, Ion hesitated and kept his sword pointed at Isaac.

Suddenly, Isaac felt a movement. He looked down for a moment to see the girl waking up.

"W-what?" Esther's eyes fluttered opened to her captor's misfortune. "What happened?" It only took her a moment to recollect her memories and then feel the pointed tips of Isaac's nails pricking the delicate skin on her neck. She gasped and started breathing fast, unable to take it all in. "Ion—"

She inhaled quickly, grinding her teeth as she felt the nails break the skin and allow blood to spot and slowly slide down her porcelain skin. Already, her hair was held against Von Kamphur's bloody neck, making her red hair matted with Methuselah blood. Breathing was hard enough with the vampire gripping her waist tightly against his own broad figure.

"Ah," Isaac smiled as he inhaled the scent of her thick blood pumping with fear, "doesn't it just smell delicious, Earl of Memphis?" His fangs were noticeably larger, enticed by the virgin's lifeblood. Ion hissed at his opponent, but couldn't help but feel his mouth watering and his fangs lengthening.

"I said 'don't touch her!'" Ion growled dangerously, his brow now maddened in a heavy "V".

"But it's so hard to resist." Isaac brought his face close to her scared face. "Right?" Then, he slowly licked her neck's wound, leaving a trail of saliva. Esther shuddered as she felt his hot tongue lap up her blood, the sound of his rough tongue coated in spit that made contact with her skin bringing goosebumps to her body.

Ion took this chance to attack Isaac again, out of complete anger and jealousy. Even he once had a chance to taste that rich blood of hers, but this traitorous vampire had just gotten first serve. Abel was horrified, but kept his ground and aimed for one of Von Kamphur's arms as Ion slashed the other, rendering him armless and unable to support the frightened girl. Ion caught her as she fell and allowed her to support herself against his chest. He could feel her heart pounding erratically before she passed out once more. She slumped to the ground and he followed her, holding her up so she could sit up with him kneeling over her for protection.

"Esther!" Ion cried as her face flushed. Then, he saw the blood at her neck, flowing freely at the rate her heart was pumping. Maybe, just for a second…

"Ion, focus!" Abel shouted and Ion snapped back to Von Kamphur. However, Isaac had already bounded away, a forearm under his bicep and his other arm in his mouth. The disturbing thing was that he was smiling, as if he had won.

"Forget Von Kamphur!" Abel cut Ion off before he could even protest. "Get Esther to safety! Go without me! I'll take Isaac and meet you back at the base."

Ion nodded and took her up in his arms, carrying her away to the ship he and Abel had been watching her from.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

***My chapters seem to get longer and longer. However, I hope this one is better than the last few. Send me any suggestions, comments, or reviews as you please.

A hollow thud came from the deck of the ship as Ion's feet landed on wood. He walked quickly to the cabin, thrusting open the door, and then set Esther down gently on a bed before going back outside again. Abel would go after Von Kamphur, but there was no guarantee that no one else was following them. He unhitched the boat and opened the sails, letting the coastal winds pull the ship out to sea toward the Empire.

After setting the ship to the right direction, he went back inside to tend to Esther's wound. He brought out bandages and antiseptic, but paused at her neck before actually cleaning it. Her blood had not stopped flowing, and it already slowed, radiating a heavy odor of iron that stimulated Ion's salivary glands. Then, he shook his head violently.

"No! No! She's already weak. I can't let myself…" he then noticed a shiny trail on her neck, left from the horrid encounter with Isaac. "Tch, that is so disgusting." He used a cloth to wipe the saliva of Von Kamphur away from her neck, and hopefully the memory as well, but it was futile.

He looked at the cloth and the antiseptic, then thought to himself, licking his lip. "Well, even if I clean her wound, his filthy, common essence would still linger on her," he mumbled, "and I just can't have that…can I?"

Ion sat her up and let her rest her back against his chest, then lowered his face to her neck, inspecting the smeared blood and the new red blot forming from the punctured skin. The scent invaded his senses and he could feel the increased length of his fangs with his tongue. Then, he licked it once lightly.

He liked it. A lot. The taste was strong and delicious, considering how he had been trying to switch to hemoglobin capsules instead, but he had to admit that real blood was so…much…better. Ion did not seem to notice how his "treat" moaned and tried to struggle. Blood spotted on her neck again, and he decided to lick it once more, revealing the small hole in her skin. And again. And again.

Soon, he found himself lapping at her neck like a dog drinking water. Esther began to stir with the constant hot pressure sliding back and forth on her sensitive skin and she made sounds that made Ion react as well. His thirst increased and he put his mouth on her skin and started sucking lightly, licking it at the same time as her pulse quickened more than ever. He dug his nails into the thick fabric of her coat. Esther grew louder and Ion felt himself drinking hungrily from her until he heard her loud gasps.

"S-stop, Isaac…I-Ion… Help me…" she whimpered.

Immediately, he stopped, pulling his head back from her. Her face was now pale, and his face struck a look of intense horror and worry. It was a moment later until he spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Esther. I'm here now." He said quietly, hugging her. Then, he laid her back down and proceeded to continue what he started earlier. Ion felt tears pricking at his eyes as he began applying medicine and bandaging her neck. He felt guilty for doing such an unspeakable thing to her, and he assumed that she felt like she was violated by Von Kamphur. He was just as bad as that "filthy, common" vampire.

Then, he unbuttoned her trench coat and pulled it off her so she wouldn't suffocate. Instead, it revealed her clad in nothing but her underwear and a thin slip, all sticking to her body. She was covered in sweat, but was still pale from anemia. His eyes followed the thin grey lines of her veins directly underneath the pale skin.

Ion felt even worse. He pulled off her boots and then retrieved a wet cloth, wiping the sweat off as best as possible without violating her any further. All he could do now was pull a dry blanket over her and hope she would forget the entire experience.

Later, he went outside after he set out some bread, cheese, and fresh fruit for her in case she would wake up. He stared out at the sea toward his homeland. Unable to contain it, he broke out sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Esther. I did such a shameful thing." Ion couldn't even look at the sunset shining over the nearing dome of anti-UV ray protection that shielded the Empire. "I've shamed myself and the Empire." Then, he curled up against the railing of the ship and cried to himself quietly.

Back at the hideout, a sliding door opened to reveal a heavily bandaged man in a wheelchair, connected to an IV tube. Dietrich breathed heavily through an oxygen mask as he wheeled himself up to the computer. There was an unmistakable frown underneath the wrappings and plastic mask, but he knew that his current position now was better than it had been before, floating in a state of suspended animation.

"Bastard Cain. I can barely breathe." Dietrich huffed as he took Isaac's place before the giant glowing screen. Numbers and window alerts flashed repeatedly, but Dietrich's eyes scanned them all, knowing what they meant. Then, he brought his arms up to the keys, casts and all, and stiffly typed codes into the computer. Soon enough, he pulled up Albion's mainframe.

Isaac laughed mockingly. "Dear, dear Dietrich. Shouldn't you be grateful at all? You're even better than ever now!" He slapped his back lightly, causing Dietrich to gasp in pain.

"Sadist." The Terran spat.

"Not as much as you are." Isaac chuckled darkly.

Dietrich's hands moved slowly, but surely, against the limitations of the bandages. He grinned, feeling that old pleasure he got from ages ago from torturing a friend or when he would lead his opponents to their deaths with a wave of his skilled hands. "It's official." He coughed, wheezing slowly before turning to Von Kamphur. "Albion belongs to the Orden, and dear little Esther won't be able to do a thing about it."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

***Hey everybody. I know there probably aren't a lot of people who read these inserts or even read this fanfic at all, but I haven't put any out recently because I was on vacation. Remember, suggestions and reviews are welcome. I still need to know, anyone want Radu back or not? I really want to put him in, but some people don't like him.

When Esther woke up, she recognized the smell of the sea amidst the coagulated blood and antiseptic, and the view of a wooden ceiling came into focus. A breeze gently caressed her red hair. She felt a gentle rocking motion all around her.

One of her hands felt warm, and she looked down to see tufts of blonde hair by her side. It seemed that the Earl of Memphis had stayed by the bed, now sleeping and holding on to her hand. He looked so peaceful she almost mistook him for a young girl, even though she knew that he was indeed a man in terms of age and character.

She sat up slowly, but surely. Her head was pounding and she felt extremely dizzy and nauseous. Esther groaned after fully sitting up. She smiled as she leaned over the beautiful boy and stroked his soft hair with her other hand while squeezing his. He stirred and yawned, blinking away the sleep etched into his lids. Then, he realized where he was and sat up quickly, pulling his hand away from hers, and rubbed his eyes.

"Esther! You've slept for 2 days already. When did you wake up?" Ion asked, not looking at her face.

"Just now." She replied. "You were just sleeping so peacefully, I couldn't wake you up."

Ion blushed, glancing at her beam at him. He felt nervous. "Er...do you...remember anything?"

Esther opened her mouth, then closed it. "Hmm...actually, not really. I just remember when you and Father Nightroad came to rescue me when I was taken by Von Kamphur." She scratched her chin. "Other than that, I don't believe there was anything else besides waking up here. Where are we anyways?"

Ion sighed in relief. She didn't recall the incident earlier. "We are going to the Empire, considering how Albion was taken."

"Oh, I feel so stupid!" Esther groaned, throwing her hands up. "Only a few weeks on the throne and already I have lost my people and my country. All is lost for Albion." She sniffled.

The Earl sympathized with her, then took her hand. "Not all is lost, Esther. Your people are same under Our Mother, the Empress. As long as they are safe, that is all a ruler need be concerned about."

She broke out into that hopeful smile that made his heartbeat skip and perhaps even stop when she hugged him. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me."

Ion's face turned a tomato red, feeling the lace of her undergarments through her transparent slip. He then turned his face and pushed her away. "Nonsense! Now, let's get you changed into something decent." He mumbled.

She looked down at herself and she too changed several shades of red, then took to covering herself with the blanket as modestly as possible. "Er...do you have any extra clothes for me?" She asked sheepishly. Then, she preceded to stand up, still trying to cover herself, until she stumbled. "I can dress myse—"

"Esther!"

In a flash, Ion came to catch her as she fell in a wave of dizziness that made her drop the blanket. He carried her in her slip back to the bed where he sat her up once more, ignoring the covers spread out on the floor.

"Wow," she sighed, "I'm sorry about that." Esther leaned up on her hand and felt her hot forehead with the other.

"Don't be," he replied, retrieving a set of clothes for her. "I'll help you dress." He blushed, but didn't look her in the face as he unfolded the common Terran dress for the people of the Empire.

Esther's face reddened again, but she didn't protest and held up her arms as he slid the cotton material over her shoulders, fastening each hook and button carefully. She shivered slightly every time his fingers brushed the skin of her back, waist, thighs, and so on. As always, his hands were quick and efficient, but the pampered, smooth hands of royal blood still tickled no matter how fast he did the job. He did not speak a word as he buckled her belt to hold up the muslin skirt and zipped up her boots.

Once again, she was adorned in what captured his eyes long ago when they first traveled to the Empire, before poor Mimal was brutally murdered.

"Don't stand up by yourself. You are still anemic." He told her, and she nodded curtly. He helped her up and they went outside to breathe in the cool sea air and watch the night lights of the Empire.

After an awkward silence, Esther spoke. "I wonder what will happen, now that Albion was taken by terrorists." She looked mournfully over the horizon.

"Don't worry, Esther," Ion piped up, "because I'm sure that everything will be fine once we reorganize everything back at Moldova Manor. The old priest will be there soon enough."

At the mention of him, Esther looked up with a glimmer in her eye. "Really? I haven't seen Father Nightroad for ages, well at least formally after the last encounter." She chuckled to herself. "He probably hasn't changed at all, that guy."

Ion's face fell as soon as he saw her warm reaction to the sound of Abel's name. He bit his lip and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Then, he gathered up his courage. "Esther, I have offered this to you already, but I will extend it to you once more." He turned to her and gave her a serious look. "Would you like to live with me, in the Empire?"

Memories of their trip together with the Duchess of Kiev and Father Nightroad reminded her of how he confessed to her and asked her to live with him. It made her heart pound, but she felt a pang deep inside of her that hurt as well. She tried to smile, but it came out pained.

"Sir, I'm not if I can do that, even if I wanted."

"What?" He gawked at her in surprise. Surely she needed a place to stay, and his Manor would be quite adequate if he didn't say so himself!

"Before we left, I was in the ADMIN building for a reason."

"What are you talking about?" Ion studied her carefully.

"Esther Blanchett doesn't exist anymore, sir." She bit her lip and rested her head on her arms against the railing of the ship. "I changed my name and my age to make sure that no one could find me and use me to their advantage. I am now Emily Berington. Esther Blanchett is gone."

She peeked out from her arms to see the Earl's reaction, but he had been looking at her the whole time. He squeezed her waist to his side tighter before looking out at sea again.

"Then what are you going on about?"

"Huh?" She wiped her eyes. "But, sir, I thought-"

"I'm just heading home after a long, well-deserved vacation that the Empress recommended me." He continued unfazed. "It just seems that I met a nice young woman whom I decided to hire upon whim and have her serve in my Manor," he winked at her, "unless, that is, you don't feel up to it, Miss Berington."

Esther's eyes teared up. She looked at him as she shifted her head to its side on her arms.

"Thank you, sir." Then, she turned away, leaning her forehead against the wooden rails of the ship and hiding her face with her forearms.

Ion felt her shoulders shudder periodically, along with a few sobs. He hesitated, but then decided to put his arm around her shoulder and lightly comb his other hand through her still matted, blood-dried hair. For the rest of the night, they sailed silently.

***Okay, last chance to vote Radu in or out. I just need one review saying you people want him out or not and I will do it. Honestly, I want to write him in as a potential character for the reverse harem, but hey, what's my opinion worth anyways?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

By the time it was morning, the ship had already docked. Esther had fallen asleep during the last few hours and was sleeping soundly in the cabin, shoes, hat, and all. Ion didn't want to wake her, but knew she would not like to miss out on arriving. He gently shook her shoulder and called her soothingly.

"Esther? Esther, wake up. We're here."

She squinted her eyes and tried to adjust them to the morning light, obviously still sleepy. Nonetheless, she cracked a grin.

"Really?" She gave a big yawn and stretched her arms. "I can't believe I'm back in the Empire!" She giggled excitedly and Ion laughed with her. He took her hand and helped her up, careful to support her in case she still felt dizzy, and led her out into the morning sun. Esther looked at the sky, amazed how the tint of the UV dome made it possible to stare at the sunrise.

"Wow, it's really beautiful." She sighed. As she gazed at the sky, Ion blushed. It was this kind of personality that changed his mind about Terrans. But that aside, he had to get her safely to the Manor before someone discovered them.

"Let's go, Esth—no, I mean, Miss Berington.," he corrected himself, shifting his weight to help her toward the mansion. "You must be tired after the long journey."

As they came up to the large doors, Ion opened them effortlessly, strength being a perk of the Methuselah.

"Shh..Keep quiet," he put his finger up to his lips. "It's daytime, so everyone in the Empire is sleeping now. I'll show you to your quarters so you can rest a little more until you feel better.

"Yes, sir." She whispered. "But shouldn't there be some people awake? I thought all high-end places had people awake at all times, like a security guard."

"Not necessarily." He replied. "My grandmother is always out because of her duty as the Duchess of Moldova, and her guards go wherever she will. As the Prince of Moldova, I will inherit her duties, but that's not for a long, long time."

Ion led her up the stairs and opened the doors to a large room. There was a huge canopy bed with thick silk sheets and covers. A vanity was prepared in the corner, with small accessories and other beauty products. The closet was enormous as well. There was a sofa with large, embroidered pillows, part of a set along with a coffee table and an armchair. If anything, this room was luxurious.

Esther gasped as she basked in the elegance of the room. Ion didn't bother to open the drapes of the windows, but instead instructed Esther to sit on the bed.

"Everything is wonderful," Esther breathed, "but how is everything kept and maintained? Do all your servants have rooms spotless like this?"

Ion began helping her to undress, at which she pulled back, embarrassed. He gave her a look, hands on his hips, until she gave in and allowed him to undo all the work he spent on getting her into clothes the day before.

"Do you remember the last time you came to my home?" He questioned her as he gestured to the bed again.

She winced, remembering how autojagers had invaded the Manor and killed off everything, included an imposter Duchess.

"Yes."

"Well, technically, no one was killed." He stated simply, unbuckling her belt and pulling off the cloth that made up a loose skirt. "Every 'servant' in the house is an automaton doll." Ion closed his eyes to ward off any feelings of invasion by Esther and began unbuttoning her shirt. "So, technically, they don't need rooms, food, rest, or anything as long as they are maintained. This house is actually empty most of the time." As he finished talking, he peeled off the last of her clothing, his eyes still shut tight as to not embarrass the blushing girl.

He turned around and went to the closet, allowing Esther to hide herself underneath the covers of the soft bed. After some digging, he pulled out a night gown and pulled it over her red head.

"Make sure you don't sleep with your, er, undergarments on." He huffed, face reddening, "I hear it gets , or it's bad for you, or something." Ion cleared his throat awkwardly before wishing her a good day and leaving.

He proceeded to walk out of the room as quickly as possible, but her voice stopped him.

"Thank you, sir," Esther said to him before he opened the latch, "for everything." Then, she snuggled into the bed and drifted off into a deep sleep.

The Earl 's ears went pink as he fumbled with the latch of the door. After closing it, he left with his hands twisting longingly.

"Dietrich, make sure the PH level is correct, or else the body will melt." Isaac instructed to his grumbling co-worker. Then, he picked up a metallic tube and walked over to the regeneration pool.

"I don't think this will work." Dietrich muttered. "I thought it was just for Lord Cain," his eyes darted menacingly to Isaac, "or Terrans."

"Well, Dietrich," he chuckled, "if it can work on your lowly species, then obviously it will work on Methuselah as well."

Isaac stopped at the edge of the pool. He nodded to Dietrich, giving him the ready, and then twisted the cap of the tube open like a thermos. Extending his arm over the pool, he carefully poured the tube's contents into the black liquid: a grey flurry of ash.

"There's barely anything left." Dietrich scoffed as his fingers clacked away on the keyboard. Various beeps and other electronic sounds echoed through the laboratory amidst the bubbling of the pool.

"There wasn't much left to begin with." Isaac replied. Then, he changed his attention to Dietrich, peering at his now bandage-free body. "How's it feel, your new body, I mean." He smiled darkly.

Dietrich ignored him and continued checking status windows. Isaac laughed heartily, then started to leave the room casually.

"Call me when something happens." Isaac called out before exiting the automatic doors.

"Wait. Tell me," Dietrich stopped him, "why did our Lord want him back?"

Isaac seemed to ponder for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, something he rarely did as it was not gentlemanly at all. "Perhaps Lord Cain wanted to make sure that you could entertain yourself, as you did last time. But, what do I know? I just follow his orders."

The doors hummed and closed with the sound of whooshing air following after. Isaac must have taken off to do other business, Dietrich thought. After the last comment though, he was a bit uneasy. Feeling the torture of death himself made him rethink his sadistic qualities, and he felt a nervous anxiety as he noticed some tufts of black hair in the pool with a luster of bright blue.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

***Just a quick question, does anyone want Tres in this? I'm not sure if I can make him very romantic, but I can try, since I know there are a lot of Tres lovers out there.

_**Knock, knock, knock.**_

Esther woke up on exactly the third knock. She jumped up and snapped her head around, slowly coming to realize where she was, and why.

"Miss Berington, may I come in?" An unfamiliar female voice came muffled through the oak doors.

"Uh, w-who is it?" Esther clutched the covers tightly.

"I am a maid in my Lady Fortuna's Manor. I have been instructed to wake you at 7:00 pm for breakfast with the Earl. I repeat, may I come in?"

"Er, yes, you may." Esther sighed in relief.

The latch clicked and in came a woman donning a maid outfit that Esther did not exactly consider very appropriate, but seeing the straight face of the maid reminded her of what Ion had mentioned earlier about automaton dolls. The servant bowed gracefully before addressing her again. Esther noticed how the thick lace of the maid's apron accented her curves and barely hid the large line of cleavage brandished on her chest.

"I hope that you had a good rest, Miss Berington." The maid said, though her face did not show any concern whatsoever. It reminded Esther of Father Tres. He never smiled or anything either.

"Oh, yes, I feel so much better now. Thank you." Esther nodded.

"Good, then I will show you your uniform before you head downstairs to meet the Earl. After you have finished your meal, I will give you a tour of the Manor and then give you the instructions for your new position here.

The maid went to the closet and pulled out an outfit similar to that of her own, then she set it on the bed next to Esther.

"You will wear this uniform." She demonstrated, gesturing to her own attire.

"What?" Esther gasped in disbelief as her mouth dropped open at the ensemble. "He gave me a position as a maid?"

"Yes, and your first lesson of the day: always address the royal Earl as 'my lord', 'your grace', 'his excellency', and etc." She lectured. The maid opened a door next to the closet, revealing a gleaming bathroom with all the essential bath products. "You should do so also with the Duchess of Moldova, if her Grace is ever within your presence."

Esther was still surprised with the sudden assignment and found herself being instructed by the mechanical maid once more.

"-be ready. Do you understand, Miss Berington?"

"Huh?" She laughed nervously, fingering the pleats of the short skirt through the outfit's apron. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that, Miss...?"

"My name is Elisa Turnot, or Mayd-5UC35." The maid finished for Esther. "But you and I will come to serve his Excellency whether he calls us by name or not, such as 'maid', or 'servant', or even just 'excuse me', for someone should always accompany the Earl wherever he goes on the property of the Manor. As for your blunder 11 seconds ago, your next job is to go wake his Grace at 7:30 pm and help him prepare for breakfast, which is in a few minutes. Please be ready." The maid bowed and Esther did so as well, still confused about the whole situation. Then, Elisa left.

Esther groaned, then she reluctantly picked up the "uniform" and went to take a shower. It took awhile to wash all the leftover dried blood camouflaged into her hair, but Esther didn't mind as she enjoyed the hot water and aromatic soaps in the bathroom shelves.

Although she wanted to shower longer, she knew she had to stop short to meet Ion at the right time, and turned the shower knob off. She dried herself off with a fluffy towel, ignoring the steam on the mirrors of the bathroom, and began putting on the tights, corset, bodice, short skirt, and apron. Except for the apron and several other accessories included in the outfit, everything was black, quite opposite of the Vatican-issued nun's habit.

She pouted, but she put everything on, and then headed out, leaving her bed unmade and the the bathroom a mess. Elisa stood waiting outside of her doors, and Esther bit her lip, realizing how much time she actually took.

"Miss Berington," Elisa lectured once more, "it would do you good to shorten your showers and follow instructions as given. It is now 43 seconds after 7:30 pm and the Earl may be late for an appointment. Please go to his room next door and wake him up."

"Next door?" Esther looked to the gigantic wooden frames that supported large oak doors with exaggerated engravings of flora and fauna. Her mouth was open like a small "o", but she took a deep breath and stomped forward with her black heels across the carpet.

"If the Earl does not wake, then I suggest trying other methods." Elisa mentioned to Esther as she tried yanking at the huge handles of the double doors. "He has been known to be a heavy sleeper, though the Duchess seemed to be pleased by this fact."

It took a lot of effort, but Esther was able to pull the doors open by using her whole body weight to tug the doors with the right amount of torque, and maybe some help from Elisa. She stumbled into the carpeted room and saw Ion sleeping soundly on the giant cushions of his luxurious canopy bed. His hair covered his forehead and cheek in unkempt strands, and Esther found herself pulling the locks out of his face.

"Aww," Esther cooed, "he really is very beautiful." For a moment, she found herself smiling into his face and recalling past memories of their adventures, including this one. Then, she pouted, remembering what he had gotten her into.

Ion stirred slightly as she brushed his face, turning on his side with his back facing her. He did not wear a shirt, but Esther had not noticed before since he kept his covers over himself, but as he rolled, the blankets revealed his sculpted shoulder bones. She did not want to know whether he wore something down "there", so she cleared her throat, ignoring the hot feeling in her face.

"Sir!" She said aggressively. "Wake up, it's already past 7:30. You'll be late for breakfast!"

However, he did not move or respond. He remained sleeping. Esther was determined to get this job done right.

"Excuse me," Esther called even louder, "please wake up!" When that did not work, she leaned over his ear and opened her mouth wide. "SIR! WAKE U—"

At this, Ion groaned and tossed about, throwing his arm over the unsuspecting girl and pulling her into the bed. His arm held tightly to her back and she gasped in surprise. They were now lying in bed together, his head under her chin and his arms clutching her back.

"Five more minutes, grandmother." He grumbled, snuggling his cheek into Esther's neck and collarbone. Then, he sniffed and smiled. "Grandmother? That smells good..." His eyes opened and he saw a blurred image of red hair.

"Uh, er," stammered Esther, quite unsure of how to react to his innocent compliment about her body odor in this situation, "Sir, you're..."

His eyes shot open and he bounded off the bed on his feet. Ion's face was a deep shade of red. Thankfully, he was wearing long, billowing pants, rather than what Esther had previously thought.

"Esther! I-I thought," he stuttered, looking at her dressed the way she was and lying on his bed, "y-you, please get out!"

The next moment, Esther found herself being pushed out of the room as the doors slammed. She stood motionless and silent, still absorbing what happened in the last few seconds.

"Well, I applaud you, Miss Berington," Elisa said out of nowhere, "for your success and your failure." It seemed like this maid was able to converse sarcastically as well.

"Huh?" Esther turned around and found Elisa standing outside of Ion's room.

"What did you do to wake the Earl so quickly?" She raised her eyebrow, the first facial expression Esther ever saw her do. "The Duchess usually uses a more 'forceful' method, but I would assume that you did not have the strength of a Methuselah. Furthermore, it was demanded that you help his Excellency to prepare for breakfast, but instead he had to do it himself. Next time, please make sure both of you leave washed, dressed, and ready."

"Er, I just, what?" Esther scratched her head, "I was supposed to wash and dress him?" She laughed nervously, twiddling her thumbs. "But-"

"The Earl is your master in this house," Elisa said steadily, "and you must treat him as such, as your position is as servant."

Esther became silent, hurt from the tirade, but blushed from the prospect of having to take care of her old friend in such a cold, yet intimate manner. She bowed her head.

"Well, then," Elisa continued, "you will escort the Earl downstairs where I will have the chef prepare your breakfast. Until then." She nodded her head curtly.

A few minutes later, Ion cracked the doors open and stepped out, wearing a loose shirt and the same pants, earrings, and moccasins. His hair was still messy, but he looked refreshed.

"W-well," he mumbled, looking at his feet, "we should head on downstairs now, don't you think?"

"Y-yes." She answered, looking away as well. However, she noticed him holding out his arm in front of her. He just stood there as if waiting for a bird to perch on it.

"Um, your Grace?" She glanced at his arm, like it was a foreign object.

"Well?" Ion pursed his lips. "Take my arm."

She hesitantly hooked hers under his and he slid his hand over the length of her forearm, sending her chills, and held it as a gentleman would with his lady. Esther grinned a little, noting how he had gotten taller since they last met so his height was above hers a few centimeters.

With that, they went down the grand staircase to the dining hall.

***Reminder: Anyone want Tres? Anyone? Reviews and suggestions are welcome as usual.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"The Manor includes the gardens, the fountain, the walkways, and foliage outside. Inside, there are the following rooms: lobby, foyer, drawing room, guest room, ballroom, master bedroom, master suite, guest bedrooms, dining hall, kitchens, wine cellar and pantry, attic, tower, storage room..." Elisa listed as she walked Esther through the lawn. Esther tried hard to remember everything Elisa had mentioned, but it was so difficult! Albion's castle was hard too, but she had several days to get used to it.

"Um, Elisa?" Esther tried to ask casually, holding her hand to her stomach as the high-class meal of raspberries, cream, honeyed toast, and earl grey tea sloshed uncomfortably. She was not used to such "rich" food, even in Albion.

"Yes, Miss Berington?"

"How many servants are there? I've only seen you since I came."

"We used to have more servants," she stopped by the fountain, nearly ending the tour, "but since the last attack on the Manor, we had to rebuild and furnish all the rooms again. We also enhanced the security systems with the latest technology, but even a Duchess need only spend so much on a place she rarely stays," she explained as she gestured to the grand building. "So the hands have decreased to only me and the chef. Now, we have you as well, so you and I will split up the work."

"Ah, I see..." Esther strained a laugh. "So, what kind of work we will be doing?"

"Our duties includes cleaning. So, that would mean dusting everything, vacuuming the floors, washing the laundry, running errands, and anything else that would include maintaining the house as you see it now." Elisa said simply. "Also, you must do as the master or mistress of the house commands, as well as entertain any guests as they request on behalf of the master or mistress. These particular tasks I will leave to you, since you do not seem as capable as I have been built."

Esther felt a groan building in her chest, but she kept it in and plastered the best smile she could on her anxious face.

"O-of course, Elisa." She nodded unevenly. Then, she yawned, taking note that she would have to get used to being awake at night, as it is considered normal for those who live in the Empire.

"Please," Elisa held up her gloved hand. "Address me as Miss Turnot or by my product number. Formalities must be kept as we work professionally and keep any relationships that way."

"Right," Esther pressed her lips into a thin line, "Miss Turnot."

"Then, we shall begin our duties now." She pointed at the mansion once more. "As you can see, the Manor is completely symmetrical, so I will take the left side, since the Duchess' room is there and is larger than that of the Master's quarters. Since it is your first day, I suggest you take it easy, but keep in mind that even I have to be taken out for maintenance every now and then, so be prepared to clean everything at all times."

"I see," Esther felt her optimism drop, but bowed before the maid. "Thank you for your help, Miss Turnot."

"One more note, in case you did not know," the mechanical maid interjected, "we do not act casually with anyone, so we may bow to those of equal or lower rank. However, you must curtsy to those you serve and those higher than you, like so." Elisa demonstrated a dainty curtsy, holding up her skirt so that it barely covered her unmentionables, and bending her neck ever so gracefully.

Hours later, Esther was panting hard and sweating profusely as she wrung the dirt-specked mop dry, grunting in disgust as the brown murky liquid splashed into the bucket of pink cleaning solution. The job chafed her hands and made her muscles ache, but it was better than what Elisa was made to do, as Esther noticed outside the window. The mechanical maid was strapped to the roof and rappelled down the glass panes to wax them.

For the rest of the day, Esther cleaned floors, both tiled and carpeted, washed bathrooms, and dusted everything from ceiling chandeliers to the smallest of mantle ornaments. By the time it was supper, her uniform was covered in the day's dust and dirt. Her arms, legs, and back throbbed from constantly cleaning in odd positions. Standing in her heels alone proved extremely difficult.

At 5:30 AM, Elisa called Esther to come and help prepare for supper. Esther gladly returned her new best friends, the broom and dusting pan, to the janitor's closet, and then wobbled after Elisa to receive new instructions.

"Suppertime is always at 6:00 AM for the master, mistress, and/or guests. Servants eat after everyone else is finished." Elisa nodded at the large, gold decorated analog clock at hung majestically over the dining hall. "Please set the table for his Grace and I will retrieve his meal. Do not forget to ring him down from the study at the right time."

Sadly, Esther was unable to set the table properly before Elisa arrived with a cart of steaming trays. The many utensils and platters confused the simple nun. In the end, Elisa had to do everything and Esther set off to call the Earl.

Esther stopped before knocking the doors of the study. She looked at the dry, cracked skin of her hands and her long nails that were now chipped and peeling. The apron of the uniform was splattered with various scum from all her tasks, and her pantyhose had tears, not to mention her heels were dusty and scratched. She could not imagine how disheveled her hair was, nor how she smelled. With that thought in mind, she felt her face growing wet and her stomach twisting in humiliation and hunger. However, she kept her sobs in, wiped her face forcefully with her dirty gloves, and knocked on the door three times, like Elisa had done that morning.

"Sir?" Esther called through the door, surprised that her voice did not crack. "May I come in?"

The sound of a chair scraping against hardwood was the reply, as well a thud.

"E-Es-uh, Miss Berington!" A muffled response replied. "Just a minute!" Esther knew that he had been doing paperwork for his recent trip the whole day and spent hours contacting officials and other important persons. She felt quite worried that she startled him during his moment of concentration.

"Oh! I-I apologize for startling you, Sir." Esther winced. "I was just going to call you for dinner." Then, she realized that it could be better if he did not see her state now. "Please come down to the dining hall for supper, since it is already close to 6:00," she thought quickly. "I will attend to you later during the morning before bed."

"Er, ah, all right, then." Ion stammered as he continued shuffling around the study. "I will be there in a moment!" He felt slightly embarrassed as he remembered earlier in the day when he took a stroll through the halls to stretch from a long period of tedious paperwork. Upon doing so, he had a glimpse of his new hire reaching the chandeliers on an impossibly high ladder to change the light bulbs. Not only that, he mistakenly saw her white cotton panties and girdle straps underneath her skirt, being as she was standing a good distance above him and also reaching her arms higher, raising the skirt a good amount of centimeters. Sadly, he cursed his impeccable vision for not turning away in time. Ion noticed beads of sweat building over her shoulders and dripping into the cleavage of her natural figure and her efforts to reach up.

"Please, go ahead, Miss Berington." He called nervously.

Esther took this chance to escape and clean herself up. Back in her room, she rifled through her closet with renewed vigor for desperation in beating the Earl to the dining hall, and threw on a new uniform. This was the only other pair, possibly for the sake of washing the old one, she presumed. Then, she dashed to the bathroom and fixed her hair, wiped her sweat off, and then put on new heels before rushing out again.

By the time she was there, the food had been set out. Thankfully, Ion had not arrived yet. Elisa rolled the cart away, but nodded over at the corridor for Esther to take station there. Esther understood the gesture and stood quaintly like Elisa had shown her previously: body upright and straight, head forward, and hands neatly folded resting just above her navel.

The sound of soft plodding echoed through the corridor, and Esther curtsied gracefully as the Earl walked into the dining hall. He had a look of annoyance on his face, but a blush surfaced on the tips of his pointed ears. However, as soon as she dipped down, she felt the pains and aches of all her tasks combined and struggled to keep her voice straight.

"Good morning, your E-excellency," Esther said tensely, careful not to show Ion that she was actually out of breath, "your supper has been served."

Ion stopped before her, feeling embarrassed about the way she treated him since yesterday. Even he had dreams that something like this could happen. He was about to bow in reply, as custom called, but detected a smell that made his fangs sharpen. Ion almost covered his nose as to prevent it from arousing his Methuselah desires, but did not want to seem rude to Esther.

Indeed, the wafting smell came from the curtsying maid, although Esther was still not aware this had run through her master's mind. It was her perspiration that made Ion salivate, very much like how mosquitoes were attracted to the sweat of mammals. Also, he could feel the pumping vibrations of her heart through the floor, which he suspected came mostly from her pained, throbbing feet. He noticed how she shook very slightly, as if ready to collapse from exhaustion, and winced.

At this, Ion felt ashamed, remembering his uncontrolled actions from the boat ride. He thought quickly and reached out his hand to pull Esther's chin up.

"Stand up, Miss Berington."

"Eh, what?" Esther said, confused. Nonetheless, she returned to the basic position of upright standing with the Earl's hand still lightly touching her chin before brushing slightly against her cheek. Her face felt hot and she hoped Ion would not notice.

"Your face is red, Miss Berington. Perhaps you have been working too hard?" Ion removed his hand. The smell of her racing virgin blood was too much. Then, he looked away. "Please, join me for dinner. I would like to have some enjoyable conversation, and Elisa is not a fan of such trivial indulgences."

Esther smiled. She felt very hungry after all that work, and was happy that everything happened without disaster. Inside, she felt a giddy pang as she imagined how they would talk like old friends again.

Ion called Elisa for a second setting and soon enough the couple were sitting down, eating, chatting, and enjoying the evening with each others' presence.

"Wow, sir," Esther marveled bite after bite of well-seasoned, grilled rainbow trout, "do you eat like this everyday? I would love to learn how to cook like this!"

"I suppose I do," Ion replied as he took a sip of his psuedoblood and wine mix, "but most days I skip out on meals because I am always busy." He could not help but smile as he watched his maid eating so happily. He knew she would greatly appreciate such fancy meals, considering her past years at the poor Vitéz Church. When Esther saw Elisa roll out the dessert, a berry decorated mint custard with swirls of caramel, she glowed with excitement. Ion laughed out loud at her expression. His laugh was bubbly, very much like a young boy, but his air was mature and cultured, and it made Esther blush deeply. She quickly took a spoonful of the sweet, creamy, and fluffy green custard after Ion took the first bite. Then, she set down her spoon thoughtfully after a moment.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, your Grace." Esther stared into the crystal glass of her last course. "Everything is delicious, and I loved it all."

Ion glanced over at her, sucking on his spoon. She looked deep in thought. "Emily? What's wrong? Is the custard too sweet?" He asked her worriedly. She just fingered her spoon lightly.

"I was just thinking how much Father Nightroad would have liked this." She said quietly. She tried to smile, but her eyes told differently. "It really is much too sweet." Esther turned to Ion and looked at him with wet eyes. "It's just that I haven't heard from him in a while, and I'm getting really concerned about that four-eyes!" Her voice becoming shrill.

She burst into tears. Ion was not sure what to say. He raised his hand to touch her shoulder, but before he had a chance to console her, she stood up abruptly.

"I'm so s-sorry, my Lord." Esther sobbed. "Please, e-excuse m-me." She hiccuped as she left the Earl in the room alone.

Ion sat there, just thinking to himself as he swirled his mixed wine about in his goblet. He narrowed his eyes. The reflection of his intense look stared back at him from the glass, and he gripped the goblet tightly until it shattered, spilling the drink about his bloodied hand.

"Damn it all."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

***Note: I apologize profusely for not putting another one up for weeks. I just started college and it is a pain in the ass to do shitloads of homework. I hope I did not discourage anyone to stop reading or giving comments. I really appreciate all the reviews I get, so thank you all very much. I'll try to post chapters more often. If I don't keep up, then by all means send me a message!

Dietrich pulled the hood of his cloak tighter around his face, currently masked with a dark fabric from the bridge of his nose down to his neck, as he dashed through tall foliage near the shores of the Empire. His destination: the Moldova Manor, located a few kilometers from the Empress' Castle in the center of this great nation. It was nighttime. He peered through the leaves as he skipped randomly from branches and saw both Terran and Methuselah going about their business close to a port nearby. He knew traveling by day would be more suspicious, since everyone would be asleep and high security would be up by then. This was the only way.

His hunger-pained belly felt like it was about to shrivel, so he reached into his belt pouch and grabbed a handful of tiny red pills, not caring how many he had taken, and stuffed them quickly into his mouth. As his sharp teeth crushed the psuedoblood, he grimaced. Though it suppressed his hunger, it did little for taste, and for the guilt that rotted in the pit of his gut. Dietrich feared this day would come, but he had no choice. He would have to hurt Esther again.

While Dietrich came ever closer to the Manor, Esther suddenly jolted awake. Her eyes darted about only to remember the heaviness of her body and the soft sheets she snuggled in. Earlier, she ran out on Ion during dinner. The memories of Abel hurt too much, and she tried to push them away through sleep, but that proved useless. Esther was still wearing her uniform. She sighed and pushed herself off the bed reluctantly.

Kicking her heels off, she turned around to set her apron on her bed and noticed how messy and overturned her sheets were. _I must have been restless_, she thought, taking off the rest of her clothes piece by piece. The thought of a hot shower pleased her very much.

In the bathroom, she felt that her face was itchy and dry. She looked in the mirror. Dry and cracked saline streaks lined her cheeks. Esther watched the mirror as her hand went up and traced the remnants of her tears lightly, wondering if Abel's hands were big enough to cup her whole face. She Then, she shook her head and stepped into the shower.

Ion left the dining hall and hour ago. Esther had not returned, and probably would not for the rest of the day. He contemplated the last few minutes as he washed the sticky blood from his arm. His shirt was left on the tiled floor, as were his shoes. He felt hot and embarrassed, but angry and jealous all the while. Why would that old priest even come first in her mind? How was he better? Ion's mind tumbled as he watched his glass cuts close up under cold running water with narrowed eyes. He needed to know.

Ion wiped his freshly healed arm dry with a white towel and put on his shirt and shoes once more. Then, he walked briskly over to Esther's room next door. Without warning, he thrust the door of her room open. _After all, I am her master_, he reminded himself.

"Miss Ber-ah, uh," he started confidently, then stuttered to a stop. The first thing he saw was Esther's legs, then her shapely bottom, followed by her curved torso, and finally her clean pale neck framed by her red hair. Her back was turned to him, and she turned to see his reddening face, holding a towel over her front before she let out a loud shriek. Immediately, Ion turned around and began closing the door while spilling out a hasty apology.

"Ah, er, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"AAUGH! Ion! Don't look!" Esther screamed above his futile stammering and tried to cover herself with the white towel.

Ion shut the door with a slam, breathing hard. He stood by the door, hand on the latch, while he tried to think about what had just happened. However, no matter how he thought about it, it was plain and simple. He saw her naked.

The Earl leaned against the doors, massaging his temples, and then slid down to sit sprawled out on the ground. Even if it was just for a moment, he still could smell the lingering scent of her sweat and the fragrances of her soaps. It was delicious. He breathed heavily, feeling his face grow hotter. Strangely enough, he felt his pants becoming tighter, unable to rid his thoughts of that moment.

Sounds of clothes rustling still went on behind the doors as Esther searched her closet for decent sleeping wear. All of them were paper thin and translucent, something she felt extremely uncomfortable toward especially after wearing the uniform and having the accident just a minute ago. She decided on a loose white robe with a very low cut, then tied it as tight as possibly around her torso to hide her exposed skin.

"Miss Berington?" Ion's voiced called unsteadily from the corridor.

Esther did not dare answer. She felt humiliated and no words could come.

"I apologize for what I did. I should have knocked." Ion stood up again, hoping she would not open the door and find him in the state he was in. "Please, take it easy tonight and tomorrow. I will ask Elisa to allow you a break. You must have been very tired. Excuse me then, good day." He walked off as fast as possible to his room, his hands, cheeks, and groin burning.

Esther held her hands in tight fists, listening carefully to the fading sounds of Ion's moccasins. After an echo of a door closing, she let out a sigh and tried to forget everything as she climbed into her bed. But even after what seemed like forever, she still felt embarrassed, as she was unsure if he saw it all or not. Either way, she felt violated.

Back in his room, Ion punched a pillow, the impact of it ripping the material and forcing it to spit downy feathers. "Stupid! Stupid!" He said to himself over and over. Ion tried to not think about it, and stomped into his bathroom, pulling off his clothes as he went. As he stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, he could help but think of her even more. He could not help but imagine what it was like to smell her virgin blood again and to touch that soft pale skin that contained a sense of warmth only she would have.

The water began to heat up and eventually became scalding hot. It beat against Ion's aroused body mercilessly, but he did not seem to notice, rather, it seemed to induce his arousal further. The heat reminded him of his last shameful experience with Esther, when he licked and sucked her neck desperately for that throbbing, hot, sweet blood.

Soon enough, his side was pressed against the cold marble of the shower walls. His hair was dripping wet, matted against his face, and steam clouded his vision. In a drowsy frenzy, he found himself stroking his erect arousal in long steady movements, imagining lewd thoughts. Pleasure erupted from his manhood moments later and he gave a long sigh as he lowered himself to his knees, feeling the pulse of pleasure fade away while the hot water rained on his body. His eyes were closed and and he was not sure if it was hot water or tears that stung them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

***Note: I'm sorry if this one is really long. This is the first time I'm writing a Mature work, so it may not be the best. Please review and so on as you please. Any other requests from readers, I will read, consider, and reply. Also, since I'm starting college, not all of my work is going to have perfect grammar or spelling (as a forewarning) so please ignore any bad mistakes. I'm just sending in first drafts now. Thank you and enjoy--WishingAgain

In the dead of day, Dietrich finally came upon the Manor. Although he was determined to finish his vows to the Rozencruz Orden, made when he was but a child, he also had to choose between keeping his promise and not involving Esther. For years he toyed with her, only keeping a facáde that she spilled all of herself to. When the time came to destroy his obstacles and weaknesses, he tried his best. By keeping up his traitorous face, he smiled while telling her the truth: he loved her. Then, left her for dead, twice. By now, she probably hated him, but this was for the best. Dietrich was rather have her hate him than waste her energy worrying over his probable fate. He knew if his feelings continued to interfere with his missions that he would be terminated, and his Lord would certainly see to that himself this time around.

He saw the fountain before the Manor, but first, he sat down next to it, preparing for the attack. As a Methuselah, he still had not gotten used to the hungers, or how he could never step out into the light of day again, but he reluctantly appreciated his new skills. He could use haste and be faster than ever before, his bones and skin could morph into weapons of slaughter, his heightened senses could detect anything and everything, and he was strong beyond what he thought was possible. He looked at his pale hands while leaning up against the granite walls that held crystal clear water. Not only was he able to retain his ability to control nerve systems from afar, but now he had all the powers of those vampires he never bothered to fear. This was true strength.

"Excuse, sir," a voice surprised him. He turned around and saw a woman wearing a revealing maid uniform. "May I help you?" She continued monotonously. A click sounded, and a cocked gun appeared from in her hand pointed directly at Dietrich forehead.

Dietrich looked at his hands once more, then lowered his head. He began to laugh to himself quietly before looking up at her with menacing eyes as he smelled the oil that rain through her mechanical systems. "I don't think so."

In two seconds, her limbs flew into the air. Before Elisa could even shoot him with her disconnected arm, he plunged his sharp nails into her face and ripped out her hard drive. Oil and artificial bio-skin smattered against his face, giving him a slight sense of excitement, as he destroyed the maid.

He watched oil and bits of metal run down his forearm, and he smiled. "Now, this would have been more fun if I had a real person to play with." He said aloud, not smiling anymore. His words sounded sure and honest, but in truth he was still confused. Even if he did have a person to torture and kill all to himself, he was not sure if he would be up to it anymore after experiencing death once. It was most certainly not pleasurable at all.

Dietrich shook his head, and bounded from his location toward the huge mansion. Eventually, he landed on the roof, above a large window, and proceeded to sniff around, trying to find which room contained his loving friend. Each window smelled strongly of cleaning solution and fresh wax, causing him to wrinkle his nose. Then, one particular window seemed different.

He leapt over to a building corner and inhaled deeply. This particular window actually smelled delicious. He gasped as he felt his heart jump and his eyes dilate. It was the hunger. He began to sweat and looked longingly at the window with slitted pupils as he hurriedly grabbed some pills from his side pouch, stuffing them desperately into his mouth. The bitter, powdery taste of the psuedoblood helped him to maintain himself, but he would have to face Esther himself.

With his oil-splattered nail, he traced a large hole in the window and pushed it in gently, grabbing it from falling as the passageway opened. A rush of warm, scented air blew over his face and he tried hard not to lose himself.

Once inside, he immediately saw her and almost started to cry. There she was, sleeping peacefully on a sea of soft sheets. She was beautiful even if she slept in the tiny bed and worn-out nun's habit, which she did not even own, in the old Vitéz Chapel. Now, she was bathed in glory, and Dietrich paused before approaching her.

_I am sorry, Esther, but this I must do_, he thought, biting his lip when his hand was only centimeters from her innocent face.

One moment ago, Esther was in a deep and wonderful sleep, having a lovely dream. She dreamed that she was in the busy streets of Rome again, but not near the Vatican. She was standing before the Trevi Fountain. In fact, she felt it was so real and close that she could hear the roar of the fresh, cold water spill into a huge basin of granite that could grant wishes for love. The godly statues clothed in loose tunics had their usual ethereal stare, but they seemed to look directly to her, or rather, behind her. She hesitated, then turned around slowly, hoping not to wake up. She saw what they were looking at and held her breath, breaking out into a suppressed sob of joy.

There he was. Abel stood straight and tall before her, only a meter's distance away. She could see his dark, buckled boots, his heavy robe, and even the iron cross that hung around his pale neck. His face was clear and solid, set in a sincere, loving smile. Every bit of it was real and there, his light silvery hair, his high cheekbones, his full smiling lips, and his thin, fragile glasses that hid a soft blue stare meant only for her.

She took several steps closer until she was only a breadth's length away from him, almost touching his body with hers. He looked at her all the while, bending his neck to watch the small, red-headed girl approach him with clacking heels. She raised her hands and pulled the spectacles off of his face and looked into his kind eyes, closing the distance between their faces. She closed her eyes and was just about to press her yearning lips to his when suddenly a large, cold hand covered her mouth and pulled her away from the Trevi Fountain, away from her dream, away from Abel.

"Shh, be quiet...someone will hear." A familiar male voice whispered into her hear. She felt a tense, cold hand cup her mouth and cheeks tightly. Esther gave a muffled gasp, feeling terror shiver through her body. She tried to struggle, but whimpered in pain when he tightened his hold on her wrists and face.

"I told you. Be quiet." He breathed into her ear menacingly. Her eyes darted back an forth, trying to catch a glimpse of her captor, but all she could make out was the black leather gloves nearly choking her.

In a flash, she found the grip loosening and gone, but she was still unable to move.

"Wh-who're y-you?" She barely managed to mumble. Her eyes focused on a rising dark form in front of her bed. His arms were raised, his now bare fingers gracefully spread apart. With the thin rays of filtered sunlight that passed through her windows, she saw glimmering lines attached to the tips of his sharp nails.

"No, i-it can't be..." her eyes widened as the mask from the man began to fall from his hardened face. "D-dietrich?"

"Hello, my dear Esther." He said with a smirk before pulling the invisible strings forcefully and causing her to slam into his chest. He held her in his arms, feeling the thin silk of the her lingerie, as she shuddered uncontrollably with fear-filled eyes. "It's good to see you again." Dietrich quickly jabbed his fist into her stomach before silently carrying her limp body through the open window.

Hours later, Esther woke from a rocking motion and the sound of a horse-drawn carriage. She squinted into the darkness, feeling a lingering pain in her belly. A nicker only a meter or so away sounded, and there seemed to be noises of wheels rolling over gravel coming from every direction. She did not want to wake up though, still exhausted for whatever reason. The warm material under her head felt too comfortable to leave.

"Good evening, Esther. How did you sleep?" The same voice from last morning asked tenderly. She opened her eyes reluctantly only to snap them open once she saw her the ghostly sight of her old dead friend, Dietrich. His soft, smiling face was framed neatly by his short brown locks. Surprisingly, he seemed sincere, but she knew better from experience.

Immediately, she sat up from his lap and tried to scoot away from him, but to no avail. She was in a carriage with closed windows that had the sunset streaming light onto him, making him seem even more unbelievable. He looked as he had the last time she saw him. He wore the same black, prim suit with gloves.

"Dietrich? Y-you, you're," Esther tried to make sentences while covering herself with her lingerie and arms as best as possible, "I thought you were dead! I saw you die!" She squeezed herself into the farthest corner, kneeling on the cushions of the seat.

"Well, Esther, then I guess it's by God's miracle that I'm still alive, isn't it?" He smiled nonchalantly, pulling some of his hair away from his face. "You must be so grateful to that giving God of yours." He chuckled.

"It's impossible!" She cried out. Before she even knew it, she starting sobbing. "You can't be alive." The sight of her traitorous enemy made her relieved, but frightened all at once. She could never hate him completely after all they had been through, but she could never trust him either, so she was unsure of what to cry for.

"Esther, don't cry. I am real." He turned toward her more, reaching out to her. "Come, I'll show you." Dietrich beckoned with his hand.

"No, please," she said in between sobs, "not again, Dietrich." Esther cowered in the corner even more, scared that he might do something she could not possibly forgive.

"Oh, Esther, don't be scared. I'll play nice, I promise." He smiled sweetly as he did before and took off his gloves, beckoning her once more with a movement of his fingers, but this time, she started moving toward him with a look of surprise on her face.

"What? No!" She shrieked, struggling to resist his unseen hold on her. Pangs of terror filled her belly as she felt herself climb onto his lap and straddle him while pressing her arms and head against his chest.

"See? No harm done, just like I promised." Dietrich cooed into her hair. His arms came up to cradle her head and rub her exposed back in long strokes as she sobbed into his suit. She could not control her movements, but she could still feel every touch and warmth of his fingers rubbing her shoulders, neck, back, and legs. Dietrich's touches sent electricity through her spine.

"Please, Dietrich," she begged with ragged breath, "it's enough that you are alive, but please leave me be. Leave us alone!" Esther gripped his vest tightly. She did not know if he made her do it or not.

"Esther," he sighed, running his hand through her aromatic hair, "you've gotten more beautiful, don't you think?" He pulled her head from his chest, then forced her to scoot closer to his body until he felt her groin, belly, and breasts press against his torso. Her eyes were red and puffy, too hurt to cry anymore, but her chest continued heaving with sobs. He felt every pulse, every breath she took.

Suddenly, his throat became dry and a feeling of hunger, no, starvation struck his gut. The pills could not stave off his hunger for even one day, something that Issak was still trying to investigate, and he felt his eyes focus deliberately on Esther's neck.

Esther felt his arms tighten around her and jumped in surprise. The greater surprise was how she was able to gain more mobility. She tried to get away, but Dietrich narrowed his red eyes and held her tighter, unable to use his abilities any longer. Esther looked at his face and gasped when she saw his pupils dilate into slits and his ragged breathing revealed long canines.

"Dietrich? What's happening? Let me go!" She pounded his chest with her tiny fists and tried to kick her legs.

"No! Stay still!" He commanded her. Beads of sweat began to build on his forehead as he resisted the hunger. Dietrich remembered what Issak sent him to do, and pulled a sleeping pill from his side pouch.

"What are you doing?" Esther demanded as she saw his free hand grab something from his bag.

"Esther," he wheezed, "eat this, now." He held the pill up to her mouth.

"No!" She shouted before closing her mouth tightly. Dietrich could not force the pill into her stubborn mouth and grunted in frustration. He had to sedate her somehow before taking psuedoblood, or else she would escape.

Then, without any other options, Dietrich put the pill in his own mouth and mustered the last of his strength to restrict her arms and legs with his invisible threads. He pulled her face to his and kissed her.

Esther's eyes widened, surprised at his action, and tried to get away, but her arms would not comply. She felt his tongue sweep across her lips, forcing entrance, and succeed. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth and she felt his pointed upper and lower teeth growing longer and sharper. Esther gasped and felt the pill slide down her throat. She moaned, feeling her heart pulsate intensely and Dietrich's tongue slowly retracting back. His arms slumped and she heard the sound of their lips smacking quietly as they separated. His eyes were lidded and his breath came out hot and unsteady on her face, as she was.

Before he could grab a psuedoblood tablet, he saw blood oozing from Esther's lip and could not hold back any longer. His hunger took over his body and he grabbed her face with both hands, smashing their faces together once more. She pushed his chest and tore at his hair as she felt his tongue hungrily exploring his mouth. Her heart pumped even more quickly.

"More, more," Dietrich muttered as he sucked Esther's mouth even harder. His sanity began to return, but he did not want to stop as he felt his pants getting tighter. "More..."

"Dietrich, please st-" She protested, only to be smothered by his persistent mouth. The smell of blood became stronger as she felt him tearing at her lip even more.

"It's not enough," he panted for breath as he paused his feeding, looking at the pitiful flow of blood from her lower lip. She was too tired to resist him anymore, even though he had no more strength to control her. He felt her virgin blood pump furiously underneath the thick material of his vest and his eyes widened, targeting his prey.

In one fluid movement, he ripped her lingerie from her chest, exposing her full breasts and his next meal. He latched his teeth onto her breast, right above her heart, and drank deeply from the fresh blood that gushed out.

Esther screamed in pain, feeling her nipples harden and her panties becoming wet. She found her self supporting most of her weight on a hard lump right underneath her soaking panties. Esther moaned in pain and pleasure, too tired to pull at Dietrich's hair anymore, her arms resting on his head and shoulder.

"P-please, Dietrich, stop..." she breathed. The feeling of his sharp teeth in her skin and his nose and cheek brushing her nipple began to fade and was replaced with dizziness. "Y-you're a Methu-uselah..." She barely made out the last vowel as she slumped into his arms, shuddering violently while a thick, viscous liquid seeped from her panties into his pants. The hot fluid made his arousal explode and he came into his own pants as he gasped for breath.

Breathing heavily, he looked at the girl straddled atop him, limp in his arms, and covered in her own blood. His pants were ruined as was her lingerie. His eyes and teeth returned to their normal state and he gasped in horror. She was barely alive, and it was his fault.

Without a moment to lose, he ripped his vest open and tore his white shirt out while ripping the rest of her bloodstained lingerie off. He quickly wrapped her chest with strips of his shirt and proceeded to clean her and himself while he tried to think of what to say to Lord Cain after this. His worst fear was what would happen to Esther when she came into custody of his evil Lord. What would she think? Or, even worse, if she died before she even got there.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

***Note: Thank you all again for the patience and suggestions. I really like getting feedback from people. I also love the fact that no one has hated on me since I started fanfictioning (if that is the right word for it), so anyone out there can still be the first! My midterms are almost over, but hey, it's already November, so I should probably put another one up. Thanks again, and remember to review and suggest.

"Ion, wake up! Esther is gone!"

Ion's peaceful sleep was interrupted by the frustrated cries of the weary Ex-Agent Nightroad. His gloved hands shook Ion violently.

"Wait, what?" He mumbled sleepily, then realized the magnitude of the issue as his eyes snapped open. "WHAT? How?" Ion pushed Abel aside and jumped off the bed. He ran to the room next door and saw the window wide open, the curtain billowing in the wind. Through the window, he could see the fountain as always, but he also saw the mutilated remnants of Elisa.

"How did you lose her? How could you!" Abel shouted at him. Ion's arms hung uselessly to his sides, feeling his guilt triple after last night.

"I-I..." Ion started, but could not continue as his voice began to crack.

"Do you have any idea what I had to go through just to set this up?" Abel forced the Earl to face him, and then Ion saw his face. Abel's glasses were dirty and cracked, one of the lenses was missing. His face was cut, bruised, bleeding. Part of his loose, silvery hair were frizzy and had dried blood sticking the locks together, no doubt the blood had belonged to him. Most of his clothes were tattered as well, but what struck Ion the most were the intense, burning eyes that drilled into Ion's very soul, accusing him of utter failure.

However, Abel's gaze was broken when his glanced over at the window, then let his eyes trail over to the bed. The sheets seemed as if they were thrown about, but he saw enough. There were several strands of brown hair here and there as well as red ones. Abel released the trembling Methuselah and approached the bed, picking up a brown sliver and examining it closely.

"Ion," Abel broke the silence after a moment, "can you recognize this scent?" He held up the hair. Ion looked at it and took it from Abel, waving it slightly to waft the smell.

"No, or at least not that I recall. It reeks of Methuselah and psuedoblood." His eyes narrowed. "But it also smells like a heavy chemical, or something. It's strange, like a newborn covered in blood and melted rubber. What could it be?"

As Ion stood thinking, Abel furrowed his brow, searching the room with his eyes until he spotted something on the curtains. He strode over and tried to pick it up while Ion looked on curiously.

Abel gasped as the object he touched cut into his skin. It was an extremely fine thread, and it was sharp. Immediately, he knew.

"Ion, we have to move, now!" He turned to the door.

"Wait! What do you mean?" Ion asked impatiently. "Who is behind this?" He huffed and crossed his arms, confused and furious. Abel sighed, never relaxing his frown.

"It's Dietrich." Abel said with slow disdain before leaving the horror-struck Earl.

Abel had already marched outside, his shadowy figure stretching lazily from the sunset. Ion ran after him and stopped him at the fountain.

"Abel! I'm sorry! I thought no one would look for us here!" He tried to explain. "But we didn-"

"Do you think that matters now?" Abel cut him off, shouting in anger. Ion cowered slightly at the menacing glare the priest shot him. "This whole time I was going after Von Kamphur and looking for backup. I could only find Hugue and Leon, but it's not enough!" At this point, Abel's face could not stop twitching and he grabbed Ion by the collar in a threatening manner. "Caterina and Tres have disappeared after disbanding AX, and I have half a mind to get on my knees and beg the Inquisition for help! What in God's name were you doing?" He screamed and shook the trembling Earl. In several huffs, Abel scoffed and dropped Ion, making him land on his rear on the dusty ground next to the slashed remains of Elisa. "I don't care what you do now, just don't get in my way."

With that, he ran off, kicking up dust as his feet struck the ground. Ion sat there, watching the last of the clouds dissipate. His fingers clenched the dirt tightly, leaving claw marks.

"I'll find you Esther, I swear it on the Fortuna name." He muttered with gritted teeth.

Hours later, though it seemed like days, Esther woke up shivering and uncomfortable. The moment her consciousness was clear, she remembered everything that happened before sleeping: the failed attempt to hide at the Manor, the kidnapping, the carriage ride, Dietrich. She shut her eyes tight until it hurt and shook her head, trying to forget. He had drugged her before taking advantage of her, and the filthy feeling of humiliation and emptiness hurt her from within her chest. Dietrich, her best friend and one of her worst enemies, had come back from the dead as a Methuselah and almost had his way with her. She could not imagine if he did anything else to her after she passed out.

"Esther Blanchett," a voice echoed, "status report?" It was deep and monotonous, a familiar voice.

Esther turned about, but was unable to see. She felt cold, flat stones underneath her and a chilly air. It was like being in a prison back in the empire with Ion. But this time...

"I-is that you, Father Tres?" Esther began unsteadily.

She heard approaching footsteps and she flinched slightly when a light shone on her. Upon opening her eyes through the blinding light, she nearly cried in relief.

Standing before her was Tres Iqus, the same as ever, staring down on her.

"Positive." Tres replied. He saw Esther stand up quickly in a daze, and almost falling before he caught her and steadied her. She wrapped her arms around herself, confused at the fact that she was not wearing her tattered lingerie or reeked of blood from her encounter with Dietrich. Instead, she noticed she wore a white half-buttoned shirt that was large enough to cover half of her thighs while the much-too-long sleeves dragged uselessly from her hands. A heavier jacket was on top of her while she was sleeping, but what really surprised her was how she was not wearing underwear. However, more important issues were at hand.

"What are you-"

"I asked you 6.34 seconds ago. I repeat, what is your status report?" His eyes made whirring sounds as they focused on the half-naked redhead. With his arm sensors, he felt a burning fever raging through her entire body.

"I-I'm fine," she stammered, wrapping the clothes around herself tighter, "where are we? How did you get here?"

"We are currently located underground, but my database cannot retrieve any more information. Something is interfering with my connections. It has been this way since the Duchess and I were captured."

"What?" She interrupted. "By who?"

"Contra Mundi. However, I had lost visual of Lady Caterina as of nine days, three hours, and twenty-two minutes ago. My systems have been on and off since and I cannot see very well, but I do not know whether I have been tampered with or not." He took off his priest robe and draped it over her shoulders. She took it gratefully, thanking him as he began to scan the dark room. By now, her eyesight had adapted to the dark and she realized she was wearing Dietrich's shirt and jacket. She scowled in disgust, but could not take them off in her current state. Esther pulled the robe around her and hitched it up so she could move around freely and fully clothed.

"All right then, we need to find a way out of here and get back to the Empire." She said as she tightened a buckle on the robe. Her feet were still bare and numb against the floor, but she knew time was of the essence. "What was the last thing you remember?"

"The Duchess and I left AX in an effort to locate and take down Contra Mundi ourselves, after too much frustration and political debate with her step-brother and most of the Vatican. Before leaving, she uploaded a humanoid-adrenaline software, similar to Methuselah haste, into my database, but it will only activate under the correct circumstances. Several days later, we had located Cain, but were taken by surprise when Von Kamphur ambushed us. I was deactivated and have not been fully online until now." He stated. Already, he had scanned the window-less, barred room with his glowing left eye.

Esther shivered. The jacket and robe was not nearly enough to keep her warm. She felt a cold in her bones that rattled her insides, but her skin was feverish as her body tried to cope with hunger and weakness. Tres' eyes focused on her sluggish movements as they tried to find a way out. He stopped examining the stony walls and approached her instead.

"Father Tres, I think I found a way out!" Esther exclaimed excitedly. Her fingers were dirtied with rust and mildew, revealing a thick padlock what seemed to be a small door. "We should-"

Esther yelped mid-sentence as Tres lifted her in swoop. She blinked, bewildered. Surprisingly, he was warm and had firm muscles that gently held her steadily. He did not feel as cold or metallic as she had presumed; he seemed human.

"Miss Blanchett, we should be quiet," he spoke as he adjusted her weight in one arm, "or else someone will hear us." His eyes scanned the lock, whirring and beeping. "My infrared and metal sensors are still dull. Switching from search mode to humanoid visual."

"Humanoid visual?" Esther whispered curiously. Only once or twice he had changed modes according to actions, not sight."

"It is part of the software the Duchess had installed into me. It allows me to see the world in human eyes: a basic program when no other one will work."

Esther could barely see as it was and wondered how he would be able to see. His glowing red eye dimmed to black. A moment later, she felt his other arm move as his pectoral and bicep muscles flexed. A sound of scraping metal echoed slightly in the room. Then, a thud came as the rusted hit the floor. Immediately, Esther felt a rush of air and lightness as Tres pushed the door open loudly and rushed off with Esther in both arms.

"Father Tres! Whatever happened to being quiet?" Esther cried. She clutched his arm tightly, dazed from the quick movement and the pounding of his boots on the stone floor.

"There was no other way. I am unarmed and damaged while you are still not fully able-bodied. The best way is to move and get out quickly before anyone catches us." Tres explained.

Sure enough, Esther noticed a dim light several meters ahead. It looked like streaming rays from the underside of a door. Tres shifted Esther again and used a free hand to throw the door open. Light seemed to blind both the Gunslinger and the Saint for a moment. She did not realize when Tres set her down, allowing her to support her weight on his arm.

A large room before them was illuminated by what seemed like hundreds of candles. Dark stones and bricks walled all sides and had moss and mildew seeping from between the cracks. There were dead, dried flowers in bundles everywhere and a large metal container with machinery behind it.

For a moment, Esther grew speechless, but her eyes widened in fear and she found her self holding her breath when she saw a familiar face in the glass of the metal container: Lilith's face.

It was a tomb.

A tall man with silvery hair and a white suit stood in front of the coffin with folded hands, as if to silently pray.

"Father...Nightroad?" Esther called hesitantly.

The figure turned around and smiled that same kind smile. Esther almost cried in relief and ran to him until Tres spoke.

"Miss Blanchett," he raised a bare arm before her.

"Huh?" She looked at him. She did not notice he was wearing the remains of a tattered and dirty shirt until now in this lighted room. The robe he lent her was ripped and had several bullet holes in it.

"That is not Abel Nightroad." He said, his eyebrows narrowing slightly for the very first time.

She looked back at the Abel look-alike as he clapped loudly with his gloved hands.

"Bravo! Well done!" He laughed at the confused red head. "It took you two all night to get out of that primitive dungeon. It makes me wonder if you two are doing naughty things in there." He gave a smirk, amused at his dirty joke.

"My Lord, he is ready." A voice came from the side of the room. Esther gave a horrified gasp when Von Kamphur came in and bowed before the suited madman.

"Bring him in." Cain said with a flick of his wrist. Issak motioned to the side and a cloaked man, waltzed out, his hood hiding his face.

"I believe you recognize my old friend." Cain gestured to the cloaked figure as he pulled his hood off. "This is-"

"R-Radu!" Esther breathed.

Indeed, Radu stood there as if he had never left this world. His black-blue hair draped around his pale, refined face and he looked at the two calmly, never expressing a thought.

"Now, little dear, that's rude, interrupting me like that." Cain said crossly. "Mr. Barvon, would you please punish her accordingly."

"As you wish, Master." Radu spoke. In a flash, he appeared before them and knocked Tres clear across the room, forcing his mechanized body into an emergency shutdown as he landed on the ground. Radu stepped closer to Esther, who was too terrified to move or speak. He disappeared for a second and before Esther could think he had her arms in a tight grip behind her back, stretching her joints enough to make her scream.

"Now, now, Radu," Cain called, "that is not nearly enough a punishment for this little brat. Make sure she _remembers _never to cross the man who will destroy the world." His face twisted into a malicious grin, revealing sharp canines.

"Of course," Radu obliged to Esther's fear. She cast him a look of pure terror, but his frozen face showed no mercy when she felt her wrists grow hotter instantly. A blue flame burst from the one bare hand that trapped her small ones. The fire scorched her wrists and brought searing pain which everyone heard as Esther screamed at the top of her lungs. Radu had already stopped burning her hands, but he tightened his grip and felt the top layer of her skin crunch under his own.

Esther struggled, making whimpers and gasping breaths. Radu drew close to her ear.

"Please, save Ion."

She held her breath for a moment at his words, but once she glanced at him she almost cried out again when she saw him opening his mouth wide. His free hand clamped her mouth shut. She could only give a pained, muffled cry when his teeth pierced her neck. After several gulps, she fell limp onto the ground, paler than ever.

"Excellent." Issac praised his friend as Radu wiped the blood off his lips. "I'm glad we decided to keep this one, my Lord."

"Well, then, I will retire to my room." Cain yawned. "Please take care of our guests."

"Of course, Lord Cain." Von Kamphur bowed as Cain left. He turned back to Radu. "Now, then, your next assignment is to bring me that nuisance, Abel Nightroad. Do anything otherwise and you will go straight back to Hell. I made sure of that." Von Kamphur smirked.

Radu frowned, feeling his heart skip a beat on its own. He knew. He knew Issak had placed a chip into his heart and it could stop beating anytime he wanted. However, he also knew that this was his last chance at salvation and repentance. Hell was, after all, not a comforting thought.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

***Note: I'm sorry for those of you who sent anonymous reviews and never got their questions answered. Someone asked if there were any definite pairings in this story: there are none. It was originally a story between Ion and Esther, but I decided that I would improve my writing skills if I took the challenge of making as many pairings as possible: a reverse harem. The method is to make the story appealing, yet still keep it general enough that each reader can assume their ideal pairing according to their preferences. Also, I recently did a preview of my writing and I felt myself die a little on the inside. The writing quality has gotten worse and worse since I have been taking less time to review and edit my own work. So I apologize if it takes me even longer than it already does to write chapters, because I just can't stand how badly I've been writing (I also apologize for this long notice, but it doesn't matter since most people skip through all notices, including me, yes, I admit it). Thank you so much for waiting and not hating! Review and suggest as you please. I have yet to fulfill my requests for the mighty Petros and some Tres action.

"Put that newspaper away, your Excellency!" Cardinal Medici barked at his younger stepbrother. "Common gossip and bilge is all there is in those bloody papers. The Pope should not believe any of that, and besides," Medici glared hard at Alessandro, growing angrier for every second he did not toss the paper aside, "there are more important issues at hand!"

Alessandro's hands tensed and shook. He had grown out of his habit of being bossed around and afraid of people's judgement, and he also grew annoyed by his stepbrother for all the trivial things he pointed out.

"I was just checking the weather." He replied, folding it neatly and setting it on the small table next to his throne once Francesco had taken a few deep breaths. The Pope did not lie completely. The weather had been dreadful: nothing but heavy rains and winds for days. However, he wanted to know if there were any news, any at all, about unfortunate Esther. He did not know completely of the details, the House of Medici saw to that, other than Miss Blanchett had been stripped of her position and disappeared once Albion fell. Still, he just wanted to make sure she was safe.

"Cardinal Medici!"

The doors of the Vatican Council Chamber boomed as a light-haired steeled figure came bursting through. His loud, deep voice reverberated through the vast ceilings.

"Brother Petros!" Medici wrinkled his nose in dissatisfaction. "You have no right to leave your previous mission in Florence!"

"My Lord, I apologize," Petros' mighty being went on bent knee before the head of the Inquisition, head gracefully bowed, "but I have come with an urgent message!" He retracted a crumpled envelope from a fold in his chest plate and presented it to the Cardinal.

Francesco Medici ignored the battle wounds present on Petros' armor and snatched the letter from him, giving a slight _hmph _ at the state of said "message".

"It was delivered by Father Nightroad," he continued, still on his knee, "and he has called me to aid him in a search that will end our biggest worry: Contra Mundi. I felt that this was more important than the current issue in Florence and left it under the charge of Sister Paula." He looked up, his face contorted in a displeased, but anxious look.

After a moment of reading and frowning, the Cardinal crumpled the letter in his hands and cursed silently.

"I absolutely forbid-"

"Brother Petros," Alessandro interrupted his now furious stepbrother, "would you care to explain to me the details of Father Nightroad's request? Surely, if it includes Contra Mundi, I should have an opinion on what action to take." He looked upon the knight, issuing a regal eminence that made Petros revere him ever more.

A few months before, the young Pope would have done nothing, but after his experiences, even the smallest injustice would bring him to act. It was just as Esther and the little Methuselah girl, Angelica, once said: he was chosen by God.

"O-of course, Your Excellency!" Petros replied eagerly. Medici merely huffed as Petros continued. "Just two days ago, Father Nightroad had visited me with urgent news about the fallen Queen of Albion."

As he mentioned Esther, Alessandro held his breath momentarily.

"It would seem that she had gone into hiding after Albion was bought out from renegade terrorists, with papers approved from even decades back. She had gone so far as to create an alias and rid all databases of herself and disappeared," Petros stood up, his voice growing louder with anger, "but the truth was that her friends were unable to keep her hidden and she was kidnapped by Dietrich von Lohengrin!" Petros clenched his hand tightly at this, making the metal alloy on his gauntlets scrape.

"What? Impossible!" Medici shouted. The Pope sat on his throne speechless.

"What makes that impossible to believe, Cardinal Medici?" Petros replied with the same volume and frustration. "I have plenty reason to trust Nightroad, and we all know, even though he may be an ex-AX agent, he would have no motive to lie either!"

"Because Dietrich is dead!"

Petros opened his mouth and hesitated to speak. Nothing came out, not a word, and he stood listening to the dreadful silence that followed.

"To resurrect the dead is cleary a sin and a power beyond human capacity and had been abandoned for centuries. Besides, even if it were possible, reports showed that his body had been gored and mutilated to the point of no return!" Cardinal Medici smirked at the knight, confident that his subordinate would have nothing else to say.

Petros bit his lip. He really did not have anything to say, but something felt wrong. Something was completely wrong and out of place.

"Now," the cardinal resumed his haughty tone, "I suggest you return to Florence."

"No, Stepbrother."

Francesco's face twitched slightly at the sound of his younger brother's voice. He hated this new and improved Pope, one he could not boss around. However, Alessandro was the Pope, and he could not argue anymore.

"Your Excellency?" Petros' head perked up. Alessandro XVII stood up.

"Brother Petros, it is my God-given right to trust and decide in these times of confusion and disaster. Therefore, I choose to believe you and to allow you to do whatever is necessary to bring back Miss Esther Blanchett." His voice was clear and firm as was his expression.

"But, Your Excellency," Medici started.

"Enough, Francesco," Alessandro raised his hand, "that is enough." At this, Medici stepped back, breathing hard and grumbling. The Pope smiled at Petros' determined face. "Go then, my son, and peace be with you." Alessandro signed a cross before Petros and the knight did so as well.

"I will eternal gratitude to you, My Lord! I will return with the Saint and Queen, Miss Blanchett! I swear it!" Petros shouted over his back as he ran off into the seemingly unending rain.

Alessandro sat back down nonchalantly, ignoring his fuming stepbrother. "Now, where were we?"

Cardinal Medici grunted and continued his readings over the daily political issues. However, Alessandro did not really listen. He was too anxious inside to pay attention. Miss Blanchett, no, Esther, was in trouble, and he could not have that.

Already miles away on a ship lent by Captain Spencer, Petros headed toward Nightroad's suggested rendevous point. He found himself yelling at the ship's pilots to fly as fast as possible. Even though he knew the arrival time would be at least several hours, he could not help thinking about poor Esther.

After he helped AX deliver the Empire's messenger for a chance at worldwide peace, he became inspired by this red-headed woman who was so small yet had such huge ambitions. _Coexistence_, she had wanted, and thus peace for the world. Surely, if Alessandro XVII is the Will of God, then Esther must be God's Angel.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

*Note: Allrighty! This is a Veteran's Day treat for all you Tres lovers. I'm giving a shout-out thanks to all my fantastic reviewers (which is the sad number of 5 people, boohoo I need more fans, lol). Thank you to **SageofAges729, AMANDA, Hoarding Consequence, Spiritus Addonexus, **and **smcandy**. I've said this before, I'll say it a million freaking times again, I really appreciate your reviews and comments because I will seriously keep this work going on forever as long as I get suggestions for it. Next time, I'll try to do more Petros, but for now, Tres time. I apologize if it's not steamy because Hoarding Consequence has desired that "won't shake her down", so here is a sweetheart-ish chapter dedicated to AMANDA and HC (can I call you that?). Thanks again everybody, and enjoy.

"Esther Blanchett, wake up."

A gentle nudge woke Esther in a dimly lit room. She tried to move her arms, but upon doing so felt a stinging pain shoot through her ulnar nerve and right through her shoulder. She remembered now.

"Wh-where's Radu?" She mumbled. Her eyes fluttered open to see Tres bending over her. He started to help her sit up. "Where are we?" Esther hissed in pain as she leant up on her wrists. The skin had already flaked off and was a reddish-browned color. She rubbed them lightly in a futile attempt to soothe away the stings of the burns.

"I do not know the whereabouts of the Baron of Luxor, but it appears that we have been relocated from the dungeon to a guest room." He gestured about with a nod of his head.

It did look like a guest room. There was a hospitable air about them in the small, furnished room. There was a warm-looking bed, a bedside table with a lamp, a small chest of drawers, and a chair set next to a large window draped by brown curtains. Esther could not help but feel at ease for but a moment, but she shook the relief out of her head and knew better.

"We don't know if this is a trap or anything. It all seems to serene." She snorted as she stood up. "They must be planning something, but what?" She took a moment to think, tapping her chin with her finger unconsciously. A while later, she felt large warm hands grasp the sides of her arms and turn her around.

"Whether or not this is a trap," Tres said, looking at her sternly for the first time, yet again," we must take advantage of it. We should rest and plan our escape should Father Nightroad and the Earl of Memphis fail to retrieve us." Then, he proceeded to undress her by taking off the loaned robe and the Dietrich's jacket. Esther made a noise and stopped him short.

"What are you doing, Father Tres?" She smacked his hand lightly to disapprove of his action. Esther took a step back and clutched at the remaining white shirt that barely covered her nakedness. She ignored the pain that came from her wrists as they touched the thin linen of her clothes.

"It would seem that you are somewhat damaged, judging from the your physical outlook." He the closed the distance between them and took her hand without hesitation. "Here, I would presume that Barvon, who is classified as an Ifrit, possibly burned you while I was incapacitated." He lightly traced the ring of peeling skin around her wrist, surprising tickling her instead of hurting her.

"I-I see." Esther replied. Her face grew red as Tres seemed very intimate with her all of a sudden. "I can dress myself though, thank you." She pulled her hand away and proceeded to open the chest of drawers, thankful that they had spare clothes in them.

"As you wish." Tres replied monotonously. Esther heard a soft thump when Tres sat down on the bed behind her.

However, she noticed that as she raised her arms to open or close drawers, the hem of the shirt would rise and reveal her backside completely to the ordained mercenary. She gasped and immediately pulled down her shirt to cover her embarrassment. Unfortunately, she could not when she saw Tres watching her intently, scanning the whole of her body.

"W-would you please," she began shakily, "close your eyes, Father Tres? It's a little embarrassing to be changing in front of a man."

"I am not a man, but a machine." He corrected her in his usual tone. "However, if that is what you desire, then I will oblige." Tres closed his eyes and continued to sit on the bed unmoving.

Just to be sure, Esther approached the "machine" dressed in tattered clothes, and waved her hands in front of his face. He did not falter or respond even as she made faces at him. When she was certain his visual sensors were off, she continued to root through the chest of drawers.

In the end, Esther could only find more clothes similar to the ones Dietrich had left her. More jackets, high-waisted pants, belts, and linen shirts were neatly folded in each drawer, so she just grabbed one of each and began putting them on. She pursed her lips as she felt the material slide up her legs. Not wearing underwear made her feel vulnerable, but she had to admit that it was very comfortable.

As she dressed, Esther was curious to know why Tres had changed so much ever since he switched modes.

"Father Tres?"

"Yes, Miss Blanchett?"

"Why is it that you can make facial expressions? You've never done that before." She began buttoning up the shirt after she had tucked it in her pants.

"The Duchess of Milan had desired that I get upgraded by installing the humanoid interface program, as I have told you before. She had claimed that my mechanical functions endure much more stress and need more maintenance than ordinary robots, but with this function I may interact with humans and learn to adapt both the biological and mechanical components of my body to endure much more." He replied.

It surprised Esther that he took a few breaths in between sentences. She pulled the jacket on and walked over to him again, careful not to trip of the extra lengths of the trousers. As she examined him, Esther noticed that he did not actually sit there, eyes closed, perfectly still. His chest rose and fell slowly. Esther peered into his face closer and looked to see that his strong jaw was no longer clean-shaven, but spotted with stubble, and hot breath moved out from his slightly parted lips and from his nose. Suddenly, his eyes opened and surprised Esther, who had been no more than a few centimeters from his face.

"It seems you have finished." He stated as Esther stepped back and tripped on her pant leg. It was no surprise that she did not feel herself landing on the carpet but instead felt the same strong lean arms around her. He pulled her back onto her feet and began to take off his ragged shirt.

Esther laughed nervously before turning around, perhaps a second too late. If he respected her privacy, then she would certainly return the favor. She was still very conservative even after she gave up being a nun, but she also caught a glance of his well-toned torso. He had strong pecs, toned abdominals and obliques, and he also had rippling muscles all down his back, everything accentuated with multiple deep scars, a tanned complexion, and a dim light. Esther blushed deeply when she even imagined that they would be rock hard to the touch.

Tres continued speaking even as he took off his shirt and began mending it and the robe with needle and thin threads that came from the tip of his forefinger. His fingers worked deftly, closing up all the bullet grazings and the rips of the microfibers.

"Lady Catherina specifically said that my body is composed of living parts, therefore I have two body systems, so those must be taken care of instead of just being maintained. With this software, I can judge the safety parameters of the more fragile parts of my body and by doing so protect my internal hard drive even better." He put his sleeveless shirt back on and set his mended robe aside on the bed.

Esther peeked out of the corner of her eye and saw him sit on the bed, lie down, close his eyes, and exhale deeply. She watched him for a minute as she sat down on the bed beside him. He breathed slower than before. It was somewhat funny, but enticing, how he looked so vulnerable all of a sudden as he lay on a bed much too small for his tall, broad frame. He still wore his thick boots too.

Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. She leaned in closer.

"Father Tres?" Esther whispered into his ear.

He did not stir. It would seem that he really did fall asleep. She lifted her hand slowly and touched his cheek, finding it very soft, unlike his hard unmoving expression. His slow breaths were hot against her hand and she let her fingers trace his dark hair, full lips, and slender chin. She marveled at the touch. Esther wondered if he really was completely manufactured or not.

Without warning, he turned his head, facing her, and grabbed her hand before holding it to his chest. She was taken by surprise, but was glad he did not wake. He just lay sleeping, his long fingers and broad palm encasing her tiny, slightly burnt hand. Esther braced herself for the pain, but it was even more surprising how fast but extremely gentle his action was, even as he did it unconsciously. With his warm hand over hers and his heart underneath, she felt at peace with every pulse that vibrated through her hand. She smiled at him and found herself yawning. Esther then moved onto the bed next to him and fell asleep once she nuzzled into his bare shoulder.

As soon as she fell asleep, Tres' eyes fluttered open. He continued resting on the bed and looked down to see tufts of Esther's red hair. He gave a surprised grunt when he felt her small hand in his. Then, he slowly turned on his side to face her, not releasing her hurt hand, and slid his other arm under her head to allow her to rest on the crook of his arm while cradling her back. He felt his hand cover a large portion of her lower back. Tres could not compute why he began thinking how small her back was in comparison to his hand, even though he knew fully well the exact ratio of palm width to the distance of one side of her rib cage to the other. He also was unable to compute a strange sensation that seeped from the bottom of his belly to the rest of his body. It was a strange sensation he never experienced on any mode or any sensor. He found himself smiling at the small person in his arms.

"Setting a date for maintenance check." He whispered to himself. Tres wanted to have his systems checked, but at the same time, he did not. This overall feeling, he could not describe even with his nearly infinite knowledge and advanced softwares. It felt...good.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

*Note: There. I hope this will last until Christmas, because there probably won't be another till then. Boo for finals...Oh, and steamy yummies for those Dietrich fans.

"Put that syringe down, Radu. It won't do you any good." Dietrich warned.

The previous Baron of Luxor did not respond. He merely stood by the operating table in the small experimental chamber in the hideout. The same chamber he and Dietrich were resurrected in. A thin, long needle rested in his palm with the inside of the glass capsule full of a clear liquid.

Dietrich sat up from his slouching position at the main computer monitor, watching Radu stare at the needle with a dazed look. He frowned. "You know that it's aqueous silver nitrate, right?" It was easy to make, but illegal these last few decades, now that Methuselah had been pushing rights.

"I know."

A moment passed, and still Radu stared at it. Dietrich jumped slightly when Radu held it up to the white laboratory light and squeezed a small amount of the solution out of the syringe. It dripped at the pointed tip. The drop slid down the smooth glass and sizzled when it touched his thumb. He dropped it quickly, regretting his action.

"Please don't do that." Dietrich sighed in relief. He slumped back into his seat and turned to the monitor, watching the stocks of Albion slowly turn into land, bullion, and weapons. "It's not worth it."

"I'm not so sure about that." Radu answered quietly. He tried rubbing his blackening thumb, only to peel off dead skin and watch it regenerate slowly. "Living this lie can't be as bad as an eternal Hell."

Immediately, Dietrich stood up with such a force that sent his swivel chair noisily crashing backwards. "Don't you dare say that!" He fumed at Radu with anger glinting in his eyes. "Hell is _nothing_ like a life of damnation. _Nothing_!"

"Are you joking?" Radu shouted back. "I know what Hell is like! I've died once too you know!" Dietrich bit his lip. He was right.

"Then, tell me, what was...Hell...like? For you, I mean." Dietrich hesitated and bent down to pick up the upturned chair. "Do you remember?"

Radu turned away. The image, smell, sounds, the very thought of Hell came rushing back after he had tried to push it away so hard. Unending screams of pain, thick, hot sulfur and silt pouring from mouths, noses, and eyes, and a deep, deep slope that forever led further into the depths of increasing flames and thick chains that grew heavier and hotter."Yes, I remember. It was like all those moronic Terrans had said," he faced Dietrich again with a melancholy expression, "a fiery pit of pitiful cries and the gnashing of teeth. Who knew that Terrans could be right about the afterlife and their pathetic God?" He finished with a surprised chuckle. However, he could not hide the pain in his eyes.

"Fire?" Dietrich raised an eyebrow after a moment.

"Yes. Fire. So much fire that even an ifrit like myself," he twirled his hand and allowed a flame to rise from his palm, "would know what it means to burn. You?"

Dietrich opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the appearance of von Kamphur from the nearby corridor. He bowed before them sarcastically and smirked. Both Radu and Dietrich scowled.

"Good evening, Gentlemen. I trust that everything is going as planned?"

"For the most part, yes," Dietrich answered while trying his best to be on von Kamphur's good side, "but I would know everything is in its place had I known what our Lord had planned for our..."guests.""

"I'm sure you would like to know, however, it seems allowing the two of you to fully understand the whole of this operation has been something Lord Cain learned from past mistakes." He had the same smirk on his face. The same sadistic smirk he showed only when he was amused. Dietrich wanted to smash it with his own fists so badly, but he knew better. "However, enough of this talk." He faced Dietrich. "It seems that Lord Cain wants to see our lady "guest" before her preparations are made."

"Yes, sir." Dietrich replied as politely as possible, bowing in compliance with the butler. He nodded to Radu and received a gesture of approval from him before leaving the room.

A moment of silence passed after the automatic doors of the lab closed with a rush of air. Radu looked back at the table, touching the syringe ever so slightly.

"Go ahead and try it. It matters little to any of us." Isaak whispered into Radu's ears. Surprised, he turned to face the Butler.

"What do you mean?" Radu asked steadily. It did not make sense.

Isaak laughed and casually walked around the table. "You know full well that Methuselah are regenerative creatures. After you died from Dietrich's toying, Augustus Vladica, also known as Krusnik 03, disintegrated your body _completely _with her Flames of Sound," then, he smiled crookedly, showing his white fangs, "well, almost completely." He took the needle up and inserted his gloved thumb into the metallic ring of the capsule and slowly squeezed out a drop of silver nitrate menacingly. "I had to scrape your filthy remains from that godforsaken place and piece every last fragment of your body back together. Our Lord was not pleased knowing it would take quite the time to bring you back." He grabbed Radu's arm and without warning stabbed the large, blue vein in his elbow with the syringe.

Radu's eyes flew open in terror. Dietrich was right; it was not worth it.

"I have your DNA, Radu Barvon, ex-Baron of Luxor." Isaak said sinisterly with his hand shaking the syringe in excitement. Radu's blood began to drip out of the tiny hole in his elbow that slowly grew bigger as Isaak's unsteady hand tore the pale skin. "Whether it's your body or brain, I can rebuild you a hundred times over exactly the way you were before you died! God is not the only one who has the power of life!" With that, he released the frightened Methuselah and let the unused syringe hit the floor.

Isaak sighed deeply. He ran his hand through his hair once and composed himself before leaving the room. Radu rubbed his arm shakily, on the spot where Isaak nearly injected the silver nitrate. It took him awhile to stop hyperventilating.

The thick rubber soles of Dietrich's shoes made loud thumping noises that echoed through the hallway. He did not bother to quiet them. Dietrich was too busy thinking. He knew that his actions were watched most of the time, but he was free to think as he wished as long as he did not show any signs of rebellion. For days, he had been planning a way to escape with Esther from this nightmare, but even a genius like him knew he had to first compete with that watchful Butler before taking on Lord Cain. He sighed heavily in defeat.

Dietrich had to stop himself before his room, distracted from his lingering thoughts. Earlier, he had taken Esther and the extremely heavy Tres to his own quarters after carefully bringing the subject to Cain, telling him they would become less inclined to escape if they were treated well, for now. Thankfully, he agreed.

"You may do as you please with those two. I will not need them until after 'he' arrives." Cain sighed, tapping his chin as he looked at the crumpled mercenary on the ground and Esther, who had fainted from Radu's attack. Exhaling deeply, Dietrich only hoped Cain would keep his word, and dreaded the arrival of "him".

The key to Dietrich's room made a jangling and clinking noise as he picked it out from a ring of other keys, and a feeling of unease washed over him. Any noise seemed to make him anxious. But, upon opening the door, all those feelings disappeared when he saw his guests sleeping together on his own bed.

True, they were not in any inappropriate or awkward position, but still, no matter how beautiful or dear Esther was to him, the sight of their intimacy made Dietrich bubble with jealousy. Esther was here in comforting hospitality because of _his _pleas, wearing _his_ clothes, and sleeping on _his _bed. But, by her side, embraced by warm, protective arms, was someone else.

For a second, he noticed a slight stir from the couple and broke his angered glare from the girl to the one holding her. The machine's eyes stared back at him, daring him to approach. However, Dietrich did not allow that to intimidate him. He returned the dare with eyes just as intense and threatening as he began to push the door open and enter his domain.

Immediately, Tres' arms tightened around Esther and he slowly sat up, bringing her body close to him without waking her and letting her body slump into his as she slept. Dietrich's mouth twitched slightly, when he saw her chest slide against the android.

"What's this then?" Dietrich smiled, hiding his fury. "For a machine, you seem to be acting quite human."

"You are violating more than 7 international laws, including kidnapping, conspiracy, torture, inhumane treatment, and more with the proof I have recorded, all of which is reason enough for immediate point-blank execution. However, if you give yourself up and give us information to detain all the persons in the aiding of your crimes, then it is possible for your sentence to be reduced significantly."

At this, Dietrich burst out laughing. Tres clutched the small girl to his chest harder, feeling a spark in his processor located near his diaphragm. It was an unpleasant sensation, unlike the one he felt a few hours ago, which he could not identify either. It seemed that Dietrich saw his action, as his eye twitched slightly, but he kept laughing, slowing to a low chuckle.

"'Inhumane treatment,' you say? I am sure you already know, but I'll say it anyways. I'm a Vampire now. A category of human, yes, but we all know that "human" is based on the term "Terran" as well. No matter what I do, I cannot be considered a Terran, thus, a human. Either way, it does not matter to me. My orders come from Lord Cain." He said. It felt disgusting to say it, but he did. Now, his face became serious and he took a step toward the two, raising a hand. "But enough talk. Give me the girl."

With a grunt, Tres scooted off the bed, standing up against the chest of drawers, and took Esther with him in his arms. Strangely, she did not wake, nor did she even move. Nonetheless, Tres knew he had a chance to escape as long as the door was unlocked. His eyes narrowed and his left one began to glow a familiar red.

"Switching from humanoid visual to-"

"Don't even try!" Dietrich jumped over his bed and lashed out at his opponent with the bones of his finger morphed into a long, thin sword.

In a flash, Tres crumpled to the ground with a hole over his heart where blood and oil seeped into the fibers of his clothes. His right eye closed, but his left remained opened and slightly dilated. Esther fell out of his arms roughly and landed on the carpet before he did, and ended up being crushed by the machine as he fell to his knees and gravity brought him down with a heavy thud atop her.

Dietrich suddenly realized what he had done and quickly retracted his bone sword back to oily, bloodied fingers. He quickly knelt down and lifted Tres off her. He had forgotten her position and the fact that killing dolls were lighter when operable, but weighed at least two hundred kilograms.

But when he did so, she still did not wake. Then, he quickly pulled her into his arms and put his ear close to her mouth.

She was not breathing.

"Oh no."

He rushed out of the room, completely disregarding the inhuman speed he traveled at and the way her limp body and burned wrists flopped uselessly against his body. He needed to treat her immediately. It was only three days since he took her blood in the carriage.

Then, the feeling of dread crept up to him. When was the last time she ate, or had a drink of clean water? Was she being kept hostage without any sustenance or care?

He used his haste to return to the lab area he came from. By then, Radu and Isaak were already gone. _Thank goodness_, he thought. Dietrich threw open the doors and waited impatiently for the automatic doors to the operating room opened. Then, he laid her upon one of the tables. Luckily, there were IV's full of glucose water nearby, which Isaak often used for testing and keeping experimental subjects alive. He grabbed one and hooked it up to a machine nearby and set it on a metal stand. Afterwards, he attached the necessary tubing to the IV and a needle, squirting it once to make sure that fluids came out. He fumbled in unbuttoning his own vest off her, but, frustrated, tore it off along with his linen shirt to reveal pale breasts, shoulder and arms, and then inserted it into the thin, blue vein in her right elbow. Then, he used some tape to keep the needle in place. He almost wanted to cry, seeing the small vein that pulsed more weakly and slowly with every second.

Turning to her face, he looked to make sure if she had awaken. However, she did not. But, in the panic, he had forgotten she was still not breathing.

Confused, he looked up at the machine, watching it beep slowly. If her heart continued beating, then she did not undergo cardiac arrest and would continue breathing since breathing was an automatic function in the human body. Why was she not breathing?

But then, he remembered the unusually pale color of her skin and the thin veins in her body. Was her body going into a state of shock from hunger, extreme pain, or even blood loss?

Whatever the case, he had to get her to breathe. He looked around for a pump, but could not find one. It seemed that Isaak intended on keeping his subjects' bodies alive, allowing them to become brain-dead from oxygen deprivation, since it would be easier to operate that way.

"Damn it all!" Dietrich cursed loudly. Without any other option, he bent down over her face and took a deep breath as the machine gave a long steady beep, indicating that her heart had stopped from lack of oxygen. He pinched her nose shut with one hand and straightened her neck with the other before pressing his lips against hers. His tongue pushed forward and opened her lips and teeth, even pushing her tongue out of the way to breathe as much air into her lungs as possible.

For what seemed like hours, Dietrich tried to breathe life back into her. He soon grew tired, limiting his breathing when his heart pumped so fast. It made him dizzy. His control of her head and nose had to be exact too. If he held her to steadily, he was sure he would have accidentally crushed her head. After each breath, he released his hands and placed the heel of his hands against her sternum, below her small round breasts. His fingers would brush over her nipples and they would become erect from the stimulation. A small feeling of relief came to him as he saw this, knowing her body was still alive.

Finally, after many rescue breaths and chest presses, the machine's beeping began to skip once more, and her own breathing continued. Relieved, Dietrich sighed. Then, he found an ointment for her wrists, rubbing the lubricant slowly around the discolored parts of her skin.

"That's right," he said to himself softly as he traced the jaw of her cheek, "he fell on her. I wonder if..." His hands began to wander and probe her neck, shoulders, arms, breasts, and sides. He felt himself becoming excited, but knew he had to check for broken bones first. After checking her from her head to her ribs, he remembered how most of Tres' weight was direct toward the middle of her body. He carefully removed the remaining bits of the shirt and vest that covered her belly, tossing it away carelessly. Then, he felt her cold smooth skin, rubbing his hands slowly over her navel and the pelvic bone sticking out from the loose trousers she wore. He felt regret when he saw how thin her belly was, after not being able to eat for three days. It was also already turning a blueish color, most likely to be where Tres had fallen on her.

But, he was very curious to "check" for any injuries, and he unbuckled her belt, pulling the zipper down.

She was not wearing underwear. _Oh, she must have taken it off since she and I..._

He felt his pants tightening as he recalled the event from the carriage. However, he still wanted to know more. Dietrich's hands moved on their own, feeling the way her hips curved, twisting her small red tendrils around his fingers, pinching the thin layer of fat around her butt, and even brushing the area between her thighs. He gasped when he felt a light moisture there. Was this from before, or just now? He brought his finger out from there and held it up to the bright white light of the room. It shined and felt slick. And, it smelled of her, but of a completely different essence; something that drove him wild inside. Before he knew it, he brought it closer to his face to smell it deeply and found himself licking at the thick fluid, tasting her essence.

Little did Dietrich know that she was still dreaming, but not of him.

_Where is everyone?_ She thought to herself. Esther felt like she was suspended in midair, but was not sure why. It was dark and she found herself naked. _Where is everyone?_

Suddenly, there was a light, and she tried to move toward it. _Father Nightroad? Abel?_

"Guess again, my dear." The glowing figure replied.

She screamed as the glowing white look-alike grabbed her wrists, which seemed to hurt more and more. Esther looked at her wrists and saw them turning redder and redder, eventually becoming a blackened and orange burn color. Then, she felt herself lose her breath as he delivered a blow to her belly.

Esther wanted to scream, but she could not. She felt Cain's hands float over her vulnerable body, touching her everywhere. It sent chills through her as his hands caressed her breasts, teasing the pink teats, and massaging her entire upper torso. Then, she felt him bring his hands lower and lower, eventually sliding over and in her sex, making her become wet against her will. _Stop, please, stop._

Dietrich stopped himself and took his finger out of his mouth, wiping his saliva on his own clothes. He wanted her so badly.

Looking around, he made sure no one was nearby. Then, he went to the panel next to the doors, pressed a few buttons, and locked the door. The glassy windows of the room began to tint more and more until they were black. Now, it was just the two of them.

He sat on the side of the operating table, thankful that it was already located next to the wall, and began to sit her up. Dietrich pulled her pants off completely as he did so. Then, he sat her naked form onto his lap, like when they were last in the carriage, but this time, made sure her IV stayed in her arm and stretched his legs out a bit as her weight came against her knees and his chest.

With a little effort and careful use of his strength, he lifted her into what seemed like a comfortable kneeling position with her legs bent against the side of his thighs and butt, her head leaning into his neck and her arms in front of her. He released his hands from her and she stayed breathing against him.

Excited, he lifted her hands, forgetting about the ointment and her burns, and used them to rub the seam of his pants slowly. Eventually, he could take no more and unbuckled and unzipped his own pants himself, releasing his straining erection, before using her hands again. He could feel the lubricating ointment of his wrists being spread around her little fingers as he handled her hands, and hers would slide up and down slowly along the length as well as around the purple head. He could not believe it. The one woman he ever wanted, here, her hands and naked body on his.

Her breath seemed to quicken. He wanted to believe that he made her do that, but he knew it could not be. She was probably dreaming, he though to himself as he inhaled the scent of her hair and curled his toes.

"Touch me," Cain commanded her with forceful hands on hers, "do it." _No_. She shut her eyes to block out the blinding villain. He was really making her do it. The feel of a slick liquid seemed to guide her fingers around a his swelling sin, and she could feel it getting tighter and harder like an iron pipe. "Yes, dear," He said in between deep breaths, "keep doing it and I might spare your life." Esther felt tears leak from her closed eyes.

Meanwhile, Dietrich reveled in the pleasure he/she was giving. The ointment looked like it served more than a medical purpose, and could hear himself gasping and panting, urging her to keep regulating, squeezing, caressing, and teasing his manhood.

"Esther, yes, please keep doing it." He panted. "Don't stop!" Dietrich could feel himself coming closer to his desired point and he gripped her fingers to violently squeeze and slide over his arousal, down, down , down, covering every last inch of it with her slippery small hands. He gasped in ecstasy as he felt himself spurt a large amount of thick semen onto her breasts, belly, and even on her groin.

Drained, he pulled his now sticky hands from hers and wrapped his arms around her now warm back before falling into a deep sleep he had not had for a long time. He'd clean her and himself later.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

***Note: Merry Christmas folks (or happy holidays for those of different beliefs)! This is for the Radu lovers, if there are any, and I apologize for any bad grammar in this. I promised to get this out for the holidays, and here it is. See you all in the new year, and thanks so much for reading! Review as you please.

"...her pulse is regular...nutritional count...get me the right capsule..."

Esther felt weak. The moment she opened her eyes she had already forgotten her nightmares, completely drained from the emptiness in her belly and the wave of exhaustion that overwhelmed her. Her eyes were tortured by a bright white light. She lifted, rather, dragged her heavy hand from her side to shield her face. Voices sounded fuzzy and incoherent in her sleepy stupor.

"Looks like she's waking up." Radu commented, arms crossed. "If Cain finds out-"

"Shut it, Radu, or I'll shut it for you." Dietrich shot back. Isaak hummed to himself amidst the fighting while he inserted another needle into Esther's arm, intently watching the clear insulin make the skin swell as he pushed the ringlet slowly.

"Wha-" She drew her breath sharply through her teeth. The pinch of the needle cleared her mind.

"Good morning, Miss Esther Blanchett." Isaak greeted her formally as he pulled his latex gloves off. "I trust you slept well?" His eyes lingered over to Dietrich for a second.

Frowning against the light, Esther recalled falling underneath Tres before feeling an immense pain and blacking out. Still, she was confused why her body still felt so weak. When was the last time she ate? Her head slumped to the side to see tape tightly wrapped around her arm, presumably around a needle, which would explain the large tubes attached to her elbow.

In an attempt to see exactly where she was, Esther tried to sit up on her elbows, but immediately felt blood rush from her head. Wooziness filled her mind as she fell back against her pillow.

"Don't get up just yet, my dear. In a moment, your body will take the insulin I have just given you, and you will at least have the energy to walk. Besides, I have arranged an important meeting for you tonight, so you must be ready by then." Isaak grinned and bowed to her, knowing she could see him from the corner of her watery eye. "Come, Radu," he stood up and gestured gracefully, "we have business to attend to. Dietrich, make sure she is ready in two hours. And do not lose yourself this time, or it shall be your last."

Dietrich swallowed quickly. He remembered waking up to the sounds of laughter earlier that day, half-naked with his arms wrapped around a fully nude Esther. They were still dirty and the smell, even for a human, was sickeningly strong. It was humiliating that Radu and Isaak found out, but even more terrifying that they would have this advantage over him. _At least I'm still alive_, he thought.

Sure enough, Esther was able to sit up and walk around in twenty minutes, although she wobbled here and there, seemingly confused about the white patient robe tied around her front with the large slit revealing everything else in the back. The look of anger never disappeared from her face though. It disheartened Dietrich, but he continued his routine as ordered.

"Now, Esther, you should at least take a bath before meeting Lord Cain. You smell disgusting." He snorted at her as she walked back to the same room she had slept in before; Dietrich's room. She said nothing in response to that comment, making Dietrich even more nervous than before. He had lied, trying to intimidate her, make her talk. As a human, Dietrich had noticed that girls, like Esther, had a special smell about her, whether it was the shampoo she used or if she had not been able to afford a shower. As a Methuselah, he could tell people apart just by the unique scents of their skin oils, sweat, and even pheromones, so her scent was even more intense than usual. It reminded him of those times in the chapel, before Esther left for Rome; the good times. However, his reminiscent past did little for his current reputation.

When they arrived to the room, Esther stopped cooperating with Dietrich, making him drag her body to the bathroom.

"Hey, what are you doing? Geez, I though women were hygienic creatures by nature." He teased.

"Don't touch me." The words escaped from her dry, cracked lips, but they were audible.

"What? You can barely walk as it is, I doubt you'll be able to stand up for more than 3 minutes." Dietrich scoffed in disbelief.

"Don't touch me." She repeated. Then, she pulled her arm off his shoulder and walked to the bathroom slowly, as if trying out her legs for the first time. Once inside, she began closing the door, leaving a small crack.

"Go away." She murmured, not even bothering to look back. Then, the door clicked shut, the lock clacking with a turn.

Esther leaned against the door, sliding down it eventually and hugging her thin legs to her chest. She could feel her ribs with her thighs, wondering how skinny she had gotten for the past...few days? She was not sure. But at the moment, anger and sorrow boiled her insides. Why had Dietrich gone so far with this, whatever it was? Killing was easy enough, since he had so many opportunities. It would be better, that is, if Cain was not planning on torture.

She stayed like that for a long time. She did not notice the clamor outside her door minutes after locking it. A knock echoed through the bathroom walls.

"Miss Blanchett, you only have an hour and a half to present yourself to Cain. I am coming in." A muffled voice announced.

The doorknob was forcibly removed when the pale Methuselah twisted it violently, ripping it from the wooden door along with many other pieces of the splintered boards. When the door was pushed open, it first bumped Esther's head, now covered in .

"Ouch..."she forgot her internal angst and tried to console the growing swelling on her head. Looking over her shoulder to find her attacker, she gasped. It was not Dietrich who came through the door though. It was Radu.

"There you are. Get up and take a bath, or I'll have to do it for you."

"You...you again?" She hesitated. It was like a nightmare the last time she saw him in that room. The traitor of the Empire and one of her best friends. _How could he still be alive_, she thought frantically. Now, he was here, hovering over her with a door knob in hand.

Esther stood up quickly and took a step back, holding her arms before her body. Her thoughts ran like bolts of electricity through her mind, rushing and rushing around to no end.

His face grew irritated. "Don't just stand there," he took a step toward her, "you have to-"

"Stay away from me!" Esther shouted. Her arms shielded her body in an act of defense, but her eyes were a piercing blue. A deep aura of hate radiated from her.

However, he continued taking steps closer to the girl. With each one, she responded with a step back, until, unfortunately, she felt the cold porcelain of the sink hit her lower back. She had no place to go, and he came so close she could detect the scent of ash on his skin.

"I told you to stay away from me!" Esther raised her hand to strike him, but gasped in surprise and pain when she felt a firm grip on her wrist. Ignoring the pain of her burns, she used her other hand as well, but Radu countered it in the same fashion.

"Let go of me." She muttered, biting her lip to hold back tears. Both his hands restrained hers, covering the wounds with his broad palms. Esther tried to stand up confidently. That did little since her head only came up to his chest.

"Why should I?" He tightened his grip. Radu heard her whimper quietly.

"It...hurts."

Her fingers grew limp in his hold, but the searing pain of contact on the healing burns attacked her will. She looked up to his face. His eyes stared into hers, and she felt a sense of terror build up inside. Was he like Dietrich: dead but alive? She knew about his death as Ion had told her, before Dietrich used him to his grave and beyond. Esther even knew about his body's complete obliteration, unlike Dietrich's.

"No." He replied after a moment. Radu began to drag the struggling redhead to the bathtub.

"S-stop! It hurts!"

"No. You only have so much time left. Besides, you're just going to try to hit me again." He sighed impatiently as he tossed Esther into the tub.

The moment her bare backside touched the white iciness of the tub, she gasped, quickly changing her sitting position to one where she could kneel instead. Immediately, she stilled, trying to resist the sudden temperature change. Radu took advantage of this moment and tore the white and paper-thin excuse for patient wear and ripped it again in two long pieces, using it to tie her hands and wrists to the hot and cold knobs of the tub faucet. Then, he rolled up his billowing sleeves and took off his moccasins and turban.

Esther looked at her hands hanging uselessly against the edge of the tub, her naked body kneeling on the white floor, her captor kicking off his shoes and tossing off his turban, and her dire, dire situation.

"How dare-ugh!" She hissed through her teeth in pain when she tried to move her arms.

"Be quiet and stay still, or else the knots will hurt even more." He said as he twisted the knobs and dumped several vials of mysterious liquids of all colors and viscosities into the stream of hot water. Bubbles foamed from the spray of hot water quickly filled the tub to the brim. Radu knew the water would be too hot, but he also knew she would not complain, not in her situation. His nose wrinkled from the strong floral scents of the bath soaps, but he knew it would do her body good, as well as her life. Cain was a person of high expectations. If Esther did not act the part, then she could easily be terminated and replaced. With that thought, he grabbed a nearby sponge and began lathering it with soap and water.

Esther watched him turn off the knobs and lather a sponge. Was he daring enough to really go this far? "I can do this myself!" Esther exclaimed in surprise when the sponge drew closer to her skin. "Just untie me and leave, you pervert!"

Her comment made his laugh to himself. He was not sure whether to tell her of Dietrich's actions or not. So, he decided to humor himself and talk to her as he washed her body.

"I told you. No." Radu bent down and proceeded to rub her back thoroughly. "You'd only try to hit me. Don't waste your breath."

She huffed. He was right. After a moment, she began to speak, hoping for information at the very least. "For days, I have been unconscious, blacked out, sleeping, etc. I just want to know where I am, why I am here, and..." she paused, hesitating nervously, "if I will live through whatever you have planned for me."

Radu stopped sponging her back for a moment. If he told her, would anything change? His eyes wandered to the corners, cracks, and crevices of the bathroom, making sure there were no cameras or bugs. If there were, he probably would have heard the slightest whirr, or even smelled the electric ionized-dust that collected around them. Thankfully, Lord Cain and von Kamphur were true to their word for both Dietrich and Radu: as long as they followed directions, it would not matter if they were caught since their lives were decided by the touch of a red button.

"Hey, did you hear me?"

"If you really must know, you are in a laboratory that was recently constructed underground a month ago. This place is actually a tomb. A tomb meant for someone who died almost a thousand years ago. Move you body. I need to wash your legs." Radu instructed. He gently turned her body, allowing her to have her sit upright, her arms crossed behind her back. He could tell it hurt as she moved, but he also noticed a bitter smell, rising from her hands, like a basic medication or ointment. However, he ignored it and ran his bare arms down her legs. The bubbles obstructed his vision, to Esther's relief and Radu's irritation.

"A tomb? For whom?" Esther asked, ignoring the strong palms encircling her ankles and rubbing her feet. The feeling felt so awkward, but she had no choice but to endure it.

"For Lilith Sahl." He said as he brought his sponge up to her sides.

"Who's that?"

"It is not my place to tell you."

Esther pursed her lips in disappointment, but continued to prod for information anyways. "So, where is this tomb we are located located?"

"Underneath Rome." He felt her body twitch and tense against his hands. Her legs were up against her chest, stopping him from washing her. Looking up, he saw a look of horror on her face. "With specialized frequencies generated by Albion's advanced technology, von Kamphur was able to cloak our existence and this place without interfering with the waves that protect Lilith's tomb. No one besides the ex-agents of AX know about the tomb, and only you and your killing doll have been here since it was finished. Now, stop that so I can wash your chest."

Esther looked uneasily at the remaining film of bubbles on the surface of the clouded water. The foam was dispersing and disappearing, leaving the turbid water. She was nervous since she could still see clearly through the water.

"Um, could you let me do this myself? It is too," she paused, glancing at his raised eyebrow, "embarrassing."

He sighed. His patience for this activity was dwindling. He retracted his soaked arms. Esther exhaled in relief, but inhaled once more in dread when she saw his pull his shirt over his head and throw it aside, revealing a torso of chiseled grooves with strong abdominals, obliques, pectorals, and lean muscular arms.

"What are you doing?"

"There. Are you happy? You can see my chest, now let me see yours so I can finish the job." He bent down again and tried to move her knees.

"No!" She screamed and splashed water into his face and hair. "It's too embarrassing!" Esther knew she could do it herself, but realized if she did, she would have less time to probe him with questions.

With a final grunt of exasperation, he pulled down his pants and threw them alongside his damp shirt, kneeled down, and waited for her permission with a look of extreme disdain on his face. She felt her face grow hot and obliged, looking away. Then, she felt both bare hands move across her belly.

"Eh, where's the sponge?"

"Be quiet."

She glanced beyond the naked Methuselah and saw the forgotten bathroom appliance buried in the heap of desert clothing. Then, she looked back at Radu. His face was reddening too. It would be best for her to return to questions.

"So, why am I here?" Esther started again after letting the silence become long and awkward. A slight gasp escaped when he ran his fingers around and over her breasts, gently smoothing over them and around her sensitive shoulders.

"I do not know that myself. Von Kamphur is keeping certain bits of information to himself to make sure I don't try to escape again." He said with a hint of anger. The anger came and left as soon as he heard a sound rumble from Esther's throat. Curious, he rubbed that part of her neck again and received a similar response. He could feel his throat becoming dry the longer he stared at her vulnerable body underneath the clearing water. Radu let his hand stop at her navel, not daring to go any lower. The slight jump from underneath her skin told him she dreaded any further movements as well.

"I...I know that you...did not _want_ to betray Ion."

Startled, his fingers slipped down and made contact with a part of her body that seemed warmer than the rest. Doing so also earned him a low groan from her, something that held his breath momentarily.

"Did you now?" He mumbled awkwardly. He had to finish, and he knew it too. "B-but it doesn't matter right now. I just want to restore what little trust I had with Ion before I lose this life too."

Suddenly, she gasped loudly. The sound was long and reverberated through the walls, making Radu feel short on breath. Esther tried to ignore it, desiring to know as much as possible in her time limit, but could not help reacting to the way his long fingers slid up and down her entrance, as if he was teasing her.

"Uh, I-I'm sorry!" Radu exclaimed, pulling his hand out of her slippery privates. "I didn't mean..."

"Never," she panted, "mind that. 'Before you lose this life?' I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"Ah, er," he stammered, unsure of how to complete his job and merely rubbing circles around her entrance, "my life is as much in danger as yours is." Radu stopped as he could not bear the continous whimpers of the girl. He needed to breathe too.

"I'm sure Ion has already forgiven you." She said quietly after calming down. Esther glanced up to Radu, surprised to see him crouched with his legs clamped together, compared to how he blatantly left his legs wide open a few minutes ago. His reason for doing so was much too embarrassing for a Methuselah of his class.

"How can you say that!" Radu shouted, one of his hands grabbing her ass tightly while the other gripped the edge of the tub. She cringed. "I've tried to kill him a number of times, even after I had died from I have been told, and _each and every time_ he has forgiven me." Tears formed at the rims of his eyelids, surprising Esther. "Even in the face of death Ion would trade everything for a traitor like me! I don't deserve his or anyone's mercy!" In the final words of his rant, he forcefully rubbed and thrust his bare fingers over and into her butt.

Esther moaned, loud and clear, completely red in the face and tearing up as well. In surprise, Radu stuttered, unable to compose words, and retracted his hands, even falling back on his behind.

"No...it-it's alright." She said breathily. Staring down at her fallen captor, she realized why he clamped his legs shut: to hide his lengthened manhood slightly leaking a clear liquid. She gasped and looked away, closing her legs as well.

The two did not say a word. Radu immediately stood up and wrapped his lower body with a towel, which did little for his arousal, and untangled her restraints. He gave her a thick, fluffy towel and allowed her to wipe herself off while staring into the steam covered mirror.

"I'm sorry." He said after a moment.

Esther let the towel hang around her shoulders. Too many thoughts raced through her mind, and her heart would not stop throbbing. However, she felt it skip a beat when she felt strong arms encircle her. A hard lump pressed roughly against her rear, though it was through two towels, and she could tell what it was.

"Promise me one thing." He whispered into her ear. Her hair was still dripping, wetting his face and dampening her towel.

"What?"

"That you'll at least escape here and go to Ion. I just want him to smile the way he used to, like when we were kids, when we were happy...when _he_ was happy." His arms grew tense, shaking a little.

"I-I can't promise you that." She replied slowly. Radu closed his eyes, straining them shut, trying to not hear what she just said. "I have someone I need to return to, and I will make sure I can get out of here to see that special person once more."

A moment passed. Then, he let her go, moving away from her in a flash. Esther turned around, but looked on to a cloud of steam.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she was still dripping wet, but there were new clothes on Dietrich's bed. It looked like a heap of white cloth. She was about to lift up the garb, until she noticed Radu standing across the bed from her, fully dressed in his previous attire and completely dry. Esther pulled the wet towel tighter around herself.

"Get rid of it." He gestured at the towel with a nod of his head. The tone of his voice was different, more serious. "You'll be wearing this when you meet Cain."

Esther hesitated. _Did I say something to offend him?_ she thought to herself. However, Radu clicked his tongue with impatience and appeared before her once more, taking the towel from her, and rapidly pulling the garment over her arms and smoothing it down her hips and legs. It was a simple white dress. The sleeves were too long, so he rolled it up and straightened the makeshift cuffs.

"Your shoes are outside the door. The dining room is past the laboratory, down the corridor, and in the left door at the end of the hall. You only have an hour left, so I suggest you get moving down there if you want to eat something before sunrise." Radu bent up from her wrist, making sure the cuff hid the burns.

With that, he left the room.

Esther was confused. After standing there a minute mulling over what just happened, her stomach decided to interrupt her thoughts and gave a great roar of discontentment. She was very hungry indeed.

After following Radu's directions, she found a small room with an equally small antique table and two chairs. There were utensils set accordingly at each place and a decorated candle centerpiece in the middle atop a homely tablecloth. The aroma of fresh bread seemed to lift Esther off her feet and straight into one of the chairs. Already, there was a plate of fresh fruit and bread waiting to be devoured. Without warning, she began her meal.

Never had she enjoyed the tangy sweetness of an orange so much, nor the dry floured texture of bread with fine pores that softly breathed when bitten into. Her hands frantically pushed it all into her mouth. It was in fact plain fruit and ordinary bread she ate. Hunger made a good spice.

After her plate was crumb-free, her eyes darted over to the one across from her, and she grabbed it without thinking, stuffing the bread and fruit into her mouth wildly.

"What's this? How rude, my dear."

Esther looked up at the figure that suddenly appeared next to her with a slice of orange sticking slightly out of her mouth. Her eyes widened. The figure bent down and cupped her chin lightly, his long silvery hair brushing her cheeks.

"Since you took my part of the meal, I guess you have no choice but to share." He grinned before opening his mouth and putting his lips lightly over hers. His tongue pushed her lips open gently and she could feel the fruit slide out of her mouth as his teeth took a hold of it, replacing her morsel with a warm, wet tongue. He did not stop. He dove deeper, licking the walls and roof of her mouth and exploring every space, even wrestling her tongue as she fought to escape his grip.

He finally pulled away, leaving her gasping for breath.

"Thank you." He said, licking his lips.

The man released her chin and watched her pink mouth try to make a sound.

"C-Cain..."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

***Note: I'm sorry if I haven't done this already. I do not own anything that even closely resembles Trinity Blood, except for this fanfiction, although, chances are, I won't notice it if someone goes and steals my scenarios, if they are worth anything. Sorry for the long wait. I'm getting laaaazy.

"C-Cain..." The name came out unsteadily. She opened her mouth a second time, but nothing came out.

"Surprise. You look beautiful, by the way. I had to guess your size, but it seems you are much smaller than I had imagined." He grinned, showing a row of his white teeth, his breath like a light, citric breeze against her face. He straightened his back and he proceeded to walk around the table before sitting down in his seat and clapping his hands twice. The white gloves covering his hands muted the clapping. His entire ensemble was white: a tailed coat, slacks, leather loafers, button vest and shirt, and a tie. Only his buttons, cuffs, and the thin line designs on his clothes were gold.

"Dietrich, could you please ask the chef for another serving? It seems the lady is new to this."

Out the corner of her eye, she saw a blur of movement. Her hair flipped against her cheek as she turned to see Dietrich standing behind her when moments ago it was only Cain and herself. She gasped lightly with surprise at his sudden appearance. _That's right_, she thought to herself, _he's Methuselah now_.

Esther's hand clenched tightly against the tablecloth as Dietrich bowed low and disappeared.

During his momentary absence, Cain pulled the napkin from the table and laid the cloth neatly onto his lap, completely unaware of Esther's emanating aura. He folded his hands and looked at Esther intently, smiling. A smile that bore no malice, no evil intention whatsoever. He just smiled.

Of course, Esther was terribly confused. This man had kidnapped and inflicted harm on her only several days ago. Her ex-best friend had attacked and even drank her blood. Now, here they were: her kidnapper smiling at her from across a well-decorated table, and her betrayer waiting on them. Her mouth felt slimy from his "kiss," but her throat felt dry. The more she thought about it, the more she felt a sickening pressure rise from her full stomach. It was as if her mouth started producing more and more saliva and, with each breath, it seemed to become thicker, making it harder to swallow. Still, she kept her face.

Dietrich came into sight once more after several minutes of silence, holding a platter of the same dish and a bottle of wine. On cue, he did as waiters did: he served Cain, opened the cork with a satisfying pop, and poured the dark crimson liquid into her glass, then Cain's. Then, he bowed once more, and disappeared.

It looked like a normal dinner. He picked up his fork, mentioned the customary words of thanks, and sat eating and drinking. After a few moments of nothing but the clatter of his fork against the ceramic plate, he looked up at Esther, her eyes hard and her shoulders tense.

"What's wrong, my dear?"

"At least tell me why you kidnapped me." She did not bother asking. Esther remembered the other times she had asked and to different people. It was not very successful.

"You seem pale." He said, ignoring her. His eyebrows were raised with concern. Esther nearly snorted.

"If you won't tell me, then you might as well kill me. I am of no use to you, not in title, nor in money, if it is ransom you want." Esther spat. The angry words felt good coming out of her mouth, but the gagging feeling in the back of her throat threatened otherwise.

"Are you sure? You're sweating a lot, Esther." Cain dropped his fork and stood up to lean closer to her paling face and analyze the strain on her forehead. He raised his hand to her cheek.

"Don't call me so casually!" She slapped away his hand before realizing the inevitable. Her whole body seemed to jump as her hand covered her mouth tightly and she shut her eyes in an effort to keep her meal down.

"Come with me." He grabbed her arm and pulled her quickly out of her seat.

Esther did not try to resist, her mind too occupied on resisting her urge to vomit. _Why do I feel like this, _she asked herself.

Cain broke into a run, dragging her behind, and lead her down a long hallway. Suddenly, he turned and put his hand on the knob of a door. Esther noticed his action and prayed to God he was not going to do anything tortuous or horrendous to her, especially when she felt so sick as she was now.

Thankfully, a bathroom came into view as Cain pushed the door opening violently and helped her to the toilet.

For what seemed like hours, Esther gripped the white porcelain and vomited everything she had eaten. Her whole body felt as if it were draining of what little energy she had left, and her knees, thighs, and back began to hurt the longer she knelt. Sweat beads covered her forehead, and her face was tired and dirty as she breathed heavily in between bouts. The stench of her vomit burned her mouth and nose as the acids from her belly traveled through both orifices no matter how hard she tried to prevent it.

The entire time, Cain sat next to her and rubbed her bare back gently. His gloves were thrown in the corner of the room and he slid his bare hand over her back. Although the odor was terrible, the dress was filthy, and Esther's groans of effort and breathing intervals were awkward to hear, he did not stop. Esther was surprised to find some relief in the large warm hand that ran up and down her back, ushering and encouraging her.

Once she was finished, she collapsed before the toilet and sat down, barely able to hold her head up from the bowl. She felt Cain's hand against her fluttering chest pushing her back from the carnage of battle. He helped her stand up and took her to the sink where he used a warm, wet cloth to wipe her face, neck, and chest, which moved more slowly with deep breaths rather than the short, rapid ones she made earlier.

"You all right?" He asked her after a moment. "Rinse your mouth and you will feel better." Cain handed her a cup full of tap water and she took it without complaint. Then, he left her side for a moment to clean and flush the aftermath.

"It's all your fault." Esther said quietly once she finished rinsing and swishing the taste of sour acid from her teeth. "If you hadn't done...that." Her fingers lightly touched her lips, remembering the feel of Cain's.

"You had not eaten in days, yet you finished a large portion in such a small amount of time." Cain tossed away the used towel and put his arm around her waist, guiding her away from the sink to which she followed obediently. "Of course your body is not used to the sudden intake. Do you still feel hungry?"

Esther said nothing as they walked slowly back from where they came, entering their previous dining area. Cain let her sit down in her seat and pushed her chair in as gentlemen would. Then, he sat down on his side and clapped his hands. Dietrich came and began to attend to the upturned tablecloth, the disheveled dishware, cutlery, and spilled wine. Staring blankly at the hands in her lap, she did not notice the look of worry in Dietrich's eyes when he gave her a quick glance. He tried not to wrinkle his nose at her overwhelmingly sour smell.

"Thank you, Dietrich." Cain nodded as Dietrich finished pouring more wine into their glasses. With that, he made a curt bow and made his exit.

A moment of silence passed. Cain continued to look at Esther, who was still staring with half-lidded eyes and drooping shoulders. He closed his eyes and sighed. Then, Esther spoke, rather, murmured very quietly.

"Yes, and no..."

Cain looked up and saw that she gazed at his platter with yearning, but with a sense of disgust as well. Her belly made small, pathetic noises, but she only sat there looking at his plate.

She felt exhausted. The vomiting had completely emptied her and, even now, the slight aftertaste prevented her from wanting a human necessity according to how her stomach twisted in hunger.

"Here, open your mouth."

"Huh?" Esther noticed a bit of orange on the tip of Cain's fork, currently hovering centimeters from her mouth. Feeling as angry and indignant as she had hours before, she frowned slightly.

"I can do it my—" Her words stopped when Cain thrust the morsel into her mouth and slid it back out over her lips.

His face was still etched with concern, which bothered her very much, but she did not bother to fight against him anymore as she tasted the sweetness of the citric fruit and let it cleanse the horrid flavor in her mouth.

For the next few minutes, the two repeated the same routine over and over again. Cain would cut apart his slices of fruit and bread and prop each piece into Esther's willing mouth. While she chewed slowly and took her time to swallow, Cain would pick up his glass and swirl the red liquid around or take a small sip. After Esther finished half of his plate, Cain put down his fork. Esther looked up at him in confusion.

"That is enough for tonight." He began to eat the remaining pieces with a different fork, trying not to look at Esther's yearning face. "Anymore and the same thing will happen. I suggest you drink something to keep your fluids up. I presume you do not want to sleep through the night with an IV hanging over head?"

Esther's cheeks colored a pale pink, but her expression returned to her gloomy blank stare. She slowly raised her arm, shaking a little, and picked up the glass firmly. As she brought the rim to her lips, Cain noticed how the red wine had shook violently from the tremors of her hand, but he did nothing and watched her closely. Fortunately, she could drink with some effort. After her drink, she set the glass back down, not reacting to the way the glass came down on the table roughly, and sighed heavily.

"I believe we are finished," Cain said as he stood up and folded his napkin over his empty plate, "I will have Radu or Isaak come in later to clean up. Dietrich has done so much already." He walked over to Esther's side and pulled her chair out a little before helping her stand up. Cain held out his arm to her.

The moment his forearm came up to her side, she remembered a familiar action and a familiar friend. How many days ago was it when Ion did the same for her, walking her down the grand staircase for a meal? The memory of her comfort in such a warm place made her eyes teary. It was only a few seconds later when she cried. Her hands could not wipe away the tears fast enough.

"Shh, shh, it's alright, Esther. Here," Cain pulled her hands away from her face, taking one around his proffered arm and rubbing it slowly with his other. He did not try to pull her other arm away from her face as she covered her mouth and sobbed. "Come, I'll take you to your room."

By the time she calmed down, there were almost to the end of the corridor Cain had lead her. A door with a latch, rather than a knob, like all the other doors in this place, was at the end. She calmed down by the time they reached it, save for a few sniffles.

"Here we are."

Once he unlatched the door, Esther held her breath for a second. Unlike the previous dark dungeon or homey, cramped room she stayed in, this room could only be described as beyond magnificent. The ceiling towered over their heads, coming into a spire with a small skylight at the top, and the amount of space in the room gave Esther a sense of freedom and relief; something she had not felt in a long time. A large rounded bed with a creamy canopy and drapes complimented the circular room. The furniture were few as needed, but luxurious all the same: a polished rosewood wardrobe, several lounge chairs with a table and lamp in the middle, presumably for company, a vanity and stool, and several smaller tables along the walls with different objects: glass trinkets and decorations, candy bowls, and flower vases and centerpieces.

Esther breathed a word of amazement, her tears now dry.

"Do you like it?" Cain chuckled. He let her arm slide out of his and allowed her to explore, not minding how she ignored his simple question.

What caught her interest the most were the oil paintings on the walls. In place of windows, large paintings of different lengths and widths hung on the walls at even intervals,and they were all of people she knew. Well, almost.

One picture had two Abels, or was it two Cains? They had identical faces and similar long hairstyles, but one sported a smile while the other seemed to scowl. The two young boys made her heart pound as she recalled the priest. He always seemed to rescue her. Where was he now?

Esther recognized another painting right away.

"Is this...Se—Empress Augusta Vladica?" She asked, lifting her hand to the young girl's face. Why was there a picture of her here, with the same face, hair, and even the same whimsical smile she wore as a tea seller? The clothes she wore seemed otherworldly though; a greyish suit that reminded her of an old space, science fiction movie. Lost in her thoughts, she almost gave away her friend's name. Seth's identity remained a dark secret for hundreds of years, and it certainly would not end now. "It looks an awful lot like her, but it couldn't be, right?" Esther forced a laugh.

"Indeed, it is Seth. A beautiful child, is she not?"

Esther's hand stopped. Slowly, she spoke. "W-who do you mean?"

"You know exactly who I mean." The corner of his mouth began to lift. He was amused.

"T-that's preposterous!" She exclaimed, avoiding his eyes. As she said so, her gaze fell on a long portrait of a very dark-skinned, beautiful woman. Her deep red hair, smoothly chiseled face, and ethereal expression was that of a long forgotten exotic legend. Why is this face so familiar, she thought to

"Who is this?" Esther asked, not daring to even touch the oil of the canvas for fear that the somewhat holy aura radiating from the frame would be disturbed.

"This," he strolled over with his arms tucked behind his back, leaning slightly over Esther's shoulder, "is Lilith Saul."

Esther could feel Cain's breath lingering over her. But, she ignored his looming height and continued to prod for more information of this goddess.

"Who was she, and why would you even have her picture here, or even a picture of that girl over there?" She gestured to Seth's beaming face.

"Oh? Haven't you figure it out yet?" A smirk played on his mouth. Esther fumed on the inside.

"What do you mean? There's even a picture of two people who look exactly like Abe—you! Did these people know each other or something?"

At this, Cain burst out laughing, a purely mirthful laugh that echoed all the way to the top of the hollow spire and reverberated back. Esther nervously took steps back. He gave one last chortle before wiping a tear off his cheek, and he stepped forward, closing the space Esther had intended to expand until he had her against the wall, his chest hovering a miniscule distance from her quivering breast.

"These people," he nodded upward to Lilith's picture, "are my brothers and sisters. Although I'm sure you would have already guess Abel is my twin, an obvious conclusion." Cain turned and languidly wandered back and forth from the pictures, leaving Esther confounded. "Indeed, Seth, the name you tried to hide in vain, is my 'little' sister whereas Lilith is my elder. Interesting how things turn out over the years, no?"

"T-that doesn't make sense..." Esther's shaky voice trailed off. "Y-you and...the Empress..."

"Let me ask you this. Do you even know _anything_ about my brother, besides the fact he is a Krusnik? Anything at all that concerns his background, his family?" Cain knew he would drive her over the edge, but not just yet.

It was true. She knew nothing about him: where he came from, why he truly wanted to be a priest, who he was. Many months ago she discovered how he defeated his enemies so quickly and why he always seemed to disappear or reappear at the oddest times. That day, when Radu had stolen Goliath with the intention of killing Ion, that was the day she found out, and it left her locked in the confines of her storm-swept mind for what seemed like an eternity until she had to help stop the Iblis.

_The sky grew darker even against the blinding flashes of gunpowder and electricity. Black feathers scattered everywhere. Bodies lay strewn about in pieces, spattered with thick blood and bodily fluids. Some fled. Some remained to rescue what little of their comrades still had, only their legs, or maybe an arm, even against the screams of terror and panic and the smells of burning rubber and dry, static-affected iron._

_ Esther cradled Ion in her arms, eyes wide upon seeing a rising ebony figure in the midst of death. Its heavy breaths sounded like hisses, the bloody air sharply passing between its fanged jaws. She gripped the blonde tighter, forgetting the weakness of his pulse, when the figure turned around at the sound of her gasp, and then it approached her._

_ It raised its white, muscle-lined arm, and opened its hands. Were they hands, or claws? The sharp nails curved menacingly a meter from the two._

_ "Get away from me..." she could hardly utter a sound, unable to even make a pathetic scoot away from it, her legs immobile with fear._

_ "I-I'm...not..." it tried to speak, but hisses and growls only terrified the small girl even more._

_ "Get away from me! You monster!"_

_ It hesitated. "E-Esth-er-r..." the name came from its mouth between a grunt and a breath. Dread and panic melted the insides of her body and overtook her. Her eyes rolled backwards and her body stopped shaking once it hit the ground, the sound of sticky blood smattering as her white habit made contact with concrete._

Esther could not take it back, that word. _Monster..._

"Excuse me?" Cain's expression slowly changed from a playful grin to something more morose, more melancholy.

"Ah! Did I say...what I meant was..." Esther stumbled on her words. She was not aware that the word came out of her mouth purely by reflecting on it so much. What's more, she felt the hot breath on her face. Cain had not moved since his smile fell.

"Was that addressed to me, or to my dear brother?"

Upon hearing his question, Esther felt her rage building.

"How dare you call him your brother so casually!" She raised her hand, ready to strike. "You killed hi-"

Esther gasped and whimpered when Cain caught her by the wrist, encircling his broad palm and long fingers over the tiny bones in her forearm. It still hurt, and the scar would forever remind her of that searing pain. However, when she opened her eyes, she felt a twinge of fear as Cain drew ever closer to her. His lips soon were next to her ear, his right leg inbetween hers, his chest pressed lightly over her thumping heart, and both her hands pinned to the wall under his large hands.

"Do you have _any_ idea," he breathed, tickling and barely touching her pink ears, "what it's like to be one? A _monster_?"

Before she could even make a sound, she felt her entire body weight being flung from one side of the room to the bed quite a distance away. He was quick enough to knock the air from her lungs.

"Why would you even say that?" Cain's voice was hard. His eyebrows scrunched together, as if in pain rather than anger, his eyes feigning rage. However, the tight grip on her wrists and the weight of his body on her frail frame was overwhelming, and she felt as if she could hardly breathe.

"I-I didn't...he..." Esther could not answer partly due to her own internal conflict and Cain's sudden aggression. She froze when she noticed him bending closer to her face. In response, she flinched and shut her eyes tightly, afraid of what might happen.

He stopped. For a moment, he had forgotten himself and why he brought her here. Cain looked closely at her face, completely restrained and distorted with fear. It was quiet as well, as both of them held their breaths. Right away, his previous emotions melted away and were replaced with utmost sincerity.

"I'm sorry."

Esther felt a light, warm touch on her cheek. As she opened her eyes, she forgot about his hands as they moved from her scarred wrists to her head, one holding her chin and the other caressing her hair.

"Wha-"

"I did not mean to scare you like that." He cut her off with a gentle voice before releasing her.

Although she knew he killed Nightroad once intentionally, she felt a pang of guilt for him. Surely, she thought, he had been called a monster as well. Before this, all of this, what had he been doing before Abel Nightroad even joined the priesthood for the sake of his good friend? Hiding, plotting? Uncomfortable as she was, her little knowledge of Abel only made her distrust the seemingly-innocent priest even more.

Amid all this, she felt herself hunching her shoulders, her hands covering her face, and crying. Even with her tears stinging her abused wrists, she kept at it, unaware that Cain's solemnity had long left her side.

Cain let the latch close behind him, leaving the shivering girl lost in her thoughts.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

***I admit defeat. To those of you who have messaged me saying that my paragraphs are not enough for page breaks, I now concur. I went back to see some of the work I have done, which I am now starting to regret as I see horrid little mistakes, I found that it WAS super inconvenient that the scene changed suddenly. I think I will now do page breaks. Sorry for being an ass (sad face).

"_I'm not afraid of you! Do you hear me! I'm not afraid!"_

_ "But, I'm a-"_

Esther's eyes opened to a dim light. Her face was wet and it was hard to breathe.

As she sat up, she realized the glow emanated from the canopy of the bed, making everything look a creamy white, as if she was floating on a cloud among angels. Also, when she touched her cheek, she figured out the wetness as well as the reason for difficult breathing.

"Ugh..." she grimaced, wiping the drool from her cheek with her sleeve. She had been sleeping mostly on her face, and she felt the lines from the pillow creased well into her skin. Her sleeve was white. Esther looked down to see that she was still wearing the dress from the night before. At least, she was sure it was just the night before.

Then, a quiet rapping came from the door. Esther gasped silently and, thinking very quickly, buried her face back into the regrettably damp pillow and assumed a soft, even breathing pattern.

"Miss Blanchett?" A male voice whispered quietly as the door creaked open. "May I come in?"

With eyes shut tight, Esther tried her hardest to stay still. She felt her heartbeat rise as soft footsteps plodded closer to her until a thin shadow loomed over her, blocking the dim light that seeped from above.

"It's no use to hide it," the voice spoke, no longer soft and whispering, "I can hear your heart."

Reluctantly, she cracked opened her eyes, a frown displayed blatantly on her face, and looked upon her greeter.

"How did you sleep, Miss?" A man with glasses and long black hair that was combed and slicked back asked her. For some reason, it seemed like his manner of speaking was dripping with disdain. "Were you comfortable?"

"I-Issak?" Esther analyzed his face. It did look like him. "Issak Butler?"

"Yes?" He replied, as if the answer was obvious. The corners of his mouth twitched.

"I thought those glasses were for show." She recalled her first encounter with him when his hair was much shorter. It was almost enviable that Methuselah could grow their hair so fast.

"I enjoy wearing my glasses, and sometimes I do need them," he turned, answering her as a gentleman would, and headed toward the dresser next to the bed, "but for now, I have orders from Cain to have you ready for breakfast in an hour."

He opened the large drawer on top and began to pull large amounts of fabric out, rustling around through underwear and the such as he went. Issak felt annoyed. Why was he here when he could have been in the lab working on his research "specimens" or even outside gathering needed information?

"No." Esther's hesitant reply interrupted his thoughts of ranting after a moment.

Issak cleared his throat and turned around, wiping his face free of that irritation. "Excuse me, Miss? I did not quite catch that."

"You heard me." Esther turned to face him from her bed. "I said no. I have no reason to see him if I am his prisoner."

"I am not sure if _you_ heard me correctly then, Miss." He approached her, garments folded over his arm. "I have _orders_. My Lord Cain will require you to bathe before meeting him, and your time grows short."

"Wh-what will you do if I refuse?" Esther shot back a little too hastily. She automatically cowered back when Issak's hand shot out to grab hers. Thankfully it did not hurt as much as before, but it still stung.

"Don't make me force you." Issak's voice was low and threatening. The elastics in his white gloves stretched noisily as his grip tightened. He stared at her with serious eyes and a furrowed brow, the glasses making him look all the more serious, and let his threat sink into the atmosphere for a moment before nodded off to the side. "There's a bathroom and a shower over there. Wash up quickly. I expect you to be out here in not longer than forty-five minutes. If you take your time, then I'll come in and wash you personally."

Esther wanted to slap him as forcefully as possible, to punch his square on the nose and make the lenses of his glasses shatter into his eyes, to inflict as much pain as she could directly on that sneering face of his, but she only shook her head stiffly in agreement. He granted her release and shoved the heap of fabric into her arms. Then, he stepped back, keeping post at the door with his arms crossed and ignoring the way it wrinkled the wool of his suit.

She dragged herself to the bathroom with heavy obligation and even heavier amounts of cloth. The dress she was already wearing was burdening enough, but she knew the dress in her arms would only be worse, considering how much it ruffled and how the weight of it felt so massive in her small arms. Still, there was a shower ahead, and that she had to be grateful for.

The bathroom was like the others ones in this place: large, made of marble or porcelain, and had all the necessary toiletries.

With some effort, she wriggled out of the white dress, making a face when she realized it still smelled slightly of vomit. However, when she looked in the large mirror, she saw bruises over her abdomen and various scratches over her body. There were also thin bandages over her elbows, which she never noticed. Curiosity got the better of her and she peeled them off slowly as to not rip off the thin hairs on her arm.

Gasping, she revealed several tiny red dots on each arm. The were needle shots.

"Good God." She muttered to herself. What had they done to her?

Whatever the case, she knew she had to deal with it later. For now, she could only think of how she could escape, or if she would be rescued as she stepped gingerly into the cold tiles of the shower.

XXXXX

"Well, have you tried looking around in the Empire? Dietrich was associated with those filthy Vampires, so their hideout must be in the Empire!" Petros boomed to a thoroughly frustrated Abel.

"No!" The priest threw his hands up in exasperation. "We can't assume they are there! I have connections in the Empire, sources that have shown that nothing suspicious has been occurring in those areas since the takeover of Albion and the integration of the peoples! Now let me think!"

"Tell me where you have already searched then! This way, we can split up and find them faster!" Petros slammed the base of his personal weapon into the humming floor of the airship. "It's been days and we've made no progress. If you let me take command of this operation I'll make sure the Inquisition can find Contra Mundi and Esther Blanchett more efficiently!"

"You will do no such thing, Brother Petros." Abel pushed his thick-rimmed glasses up his nose. He did not want to argue with the overly zealous Knight any longer and returned to working on his computer, clicking on different windows of locations they have and will search.

"Insolence, and from a traitor no less!" Petros fumed as he stomped out of the small, cramped cabin. At least he did not break anything, like the last few times he went to "talk" to Abel during the past two days.

"Where are you hiding?" Abel hissed through his teeth as he pulled up yet another window. "Where is this place that I can't find? What is the last place I'd never look?!"

A loud, crackling voice came from the radio next to the computer monitor. Abel quickly swept the littered papers around the desk to find the the correct button panel for the radio.

"Come in, this is Nightroad, come in." He held the receiver close to his mouth. The cheap equipment was hard to work with, but it was all he could afford considering his small salary. It was still more than four dinars, but it was not nearly enough to have an organized mission.

"Is that the pope?" Petros suddenly tromped back into the room at the sound of the radio. His senses were fairly accurate among the loud grinding and clanking noises of the ship.

"This is Pope Alessandro." The image of the teen came into view on the monitor, his face slightly fuzzy, but clear nonetheless. "I want a mission report. Have you discovered anything as of late?"

Abel groaned in despair. Petros grabbed the receiver from Nightroad's limp hand and yelled furiously back into the small piece of machinery.

"No! We haven't found anything yet because _this_ idiot here is not using his head!" Petros' voice echoed from the machine, a sign of equipment faults or misuse of said equipment. The monitor flashed abruptly as Petros loudly conversed with the Pope, who looked like he was covering his ears in the screen, but the it quickly went in and out of focus before showing a very tired Pope.

"Brother Petros, allow me to speak with Father Nightroad."

He grumbled and reluctantly stuffed the receiver back into the hand of the silver-haired priest.

"Father Nightroad," Alessandro continued, "are there any places you haven't considered looking? Any place at all?" Worry creased his forehead.

"I don't know! I know for sure Cain is not in the Empire. I have some nobles, no, old friends, looking out for any odd changes, orders, or transfers. I even have the Empress keeping an extra eye out for that kind of information, which is already beyond who I should need help from." Abel reopened smaller windows in the corner of the monitor, showing the Pope a list of places he had been to. "I'm sending you a document with all the information about where I've been, who I've talked to, and so on."

After a brief pause, the Pope's voice crackled up again.

"Why isn't the Rome on this list? Or Rome for that matter?"

"That wouldn't make sense, Your Excellency!" Abel rubbed his temples. "Pardon my manners, but there is no way Esther would be kept there, right under our noses. Besides, I had Wordsworth scan the entirety of Rome a week prior to this date and we have found nothing. There are no sound frequencies coming from the air, the ground, or the buildings."

"Wait." Petros put a firm hand on Abel's tense shoulder. "Sound frequencies?"

"What is it, Brother Petros?" Alessandro queried the moving blue-haired figure in the image on his monitor back in the Vatican.

"Wordsworth's last sound invention failed horribly. Similar data was even used to fell Obelisk only months ago. How can you be so sure that he did it right?"

"He may be a mad scientist, but he knows what he's doing!" Abel rushed to his friend's defense. "Wordsworth told me he used methods similar to echolocation this time. If his frequencies returned with odd patterns, then they would show images of what kind of formation it was hitting, like sonar. But there's been nothing in the city of Rome."

Petros paused. He crossed his arms and set his lips in a tight line, assuming his "thinking" pose.

"Well, Petros?" The priest asked.

"My weapon is specialized in creating frequencies," he started slowly, "and there have been times where it was blocked. The only this could happen is if frequencies of equal and opposite waves oppose it. Constructive and destructive waves, I mean, if those are the correct terms."

The three men thought in silence. A minute or two passed before Abel spoke, dialing Wordsworth's office number on the computer keyboard.

"I need to make a call."

XXXXX

"So, how is it that you became affiliated with Cain anyways?" Esther prodded Von Kamphur as they walked down a hallway together arm in arm. She did not appreciate the way he stiffly hooked her forearm.

"If you must know," he exhaled in annoyance at her constant stream of questions, knowing it would do her little for an escape attempt, "my family had been serving him for four generations, starting with my great-grandfather."

"Your grandfather?" Esther repeated, making sure to listen and learn about her opponents. Also, it did not make sense. Methuselah lived around three hundred years each. How old was Cain anyways? "What's your great-grandfather have anything to do with him?"

"He found Lord Cain after the Mars Colony Project had failed. As a scientist, he had his own aspirations and wanted to help him. Only later did they make plans together to create Contra Mundi, which I have orders not to reveal to you. We're almost there anyways." He said as he cocked his head toward a door at the end of the hall.

Esther rolled the words through her mouth silently. _Mars Colony Project_?

They reached the end and the black-suited man opened the door for her. The two walked into the same room as last night where the same table was set with familiar tableware and cutlery. Sitting on the far side of the small table was Cain himself, dressed in a sharp white suit slightly different from the one he wore before and crossing his legs. He was reading a newspaper sipping what looked like coffee.

"Ah, you came right on time." Cain sat upright, planting both feet on the ground and folding away the paper. Esther held her breath as she saw the front headline:_ Missing Queen Gone For Days, Albion Crumbles._

"As always, Issak, you did well. Please, Esther, have a seat. Thank you, Issak." Cain nodded to his servant.

Issak pulled out Esther's chair and seated her before bowing low before his master and leaving.

"Radu will be our server this morning." Cain smiled sweetly to Esther. "How are you feeling?"

Esther did not answer right away, for she was utterly confused by Cain's manner. He seemed purely interested in her well-being. His blue eyes twinkled, reminding her of that special person, but she waved it from her mind.

"That is none of your concern. You still have not answered my question from last night." She sat up straight, trying to appear unafraid, but secretly folded her fingers tightly in her lap.

"Tsk, tsk, my dear. Don't be so stubborn. Coffee? Tea?" He offered, never changing his cheery expression. The coffee he was drinking was almost white, his saucer littered with sprinkles of sugar. He was just like Nightroad and his impossible thirteen cubes of sugar.

"Tea is fine." Esther replied, realized how hungry she was the longer she smelled the aroma of roasted coffee beans, and almost forgot her so-called manners. "Please."

Cain's smile grew brighter and he clapped his hands twice. Radu appeared from around the corner of the room, holding a large tray with two covered dishes.

As he came closer, Esther noticed his feet. They were bare: no shoes, no socks, just stepping along the cold linoleum floor gracefully.

Radu set the tray down on the table and put each dish in front of his patrons before pulling the lids off and stacking them atop each other. Then, he slid the silver tray and lids under his left arm and began pouring hot tea into Esther's cup with the other. She hardly noticed the wonderful scent of Earl Grey tea as she looked upon her simple, yet mouth-watering meal of a steamy fried egg, peanut buttered toast, and two thick slices of red tomato.

"Cream or sugar, Miss Blanchett?" Radu reached for the cream, but did not raise the cup as he waited for her response.

She stared at her food.

"Ahem," Radu cleared his voice to get her attention, "would you rather be addressed as Miss Berington?"

"Oh, yes, please." Esther snapped back to the server and his raised eyebrow. "A little cream and two lumps of sugar please."

Afterwards, Cain thanked Radu for the meal. He bowed as Issak and Dietrich did before leaving. They ate in silence for the most part, except for the occasional glance, the clinking of silverware, and the sipping of hot beverages.

"Esther." Cain set his fork and knife down.

"Are you going to tell me your plan, since I'll be kept prisoner anyways?" Esther set down her utensils as well, but reached for her tea instead, not meeting Cain's gaze.

"No, my dear." He chuckled lightly, reaching for his coffee as well. "I was wondering why you haven't touched your toast."

Esther stopped drinking for a moment. He was right. She had been avoiding it, now that he mentioned it. Her tomatoes were gone and the egg almost finished except for the last pieces of fried whites and the smears of yolk. Only the peanut buttered toast remained fully intact.

"I just didn't want it." She said, raising the teacup to her lips once more. It reminded her of the sandwiches she and Dietrich made for Father Nightroad, the night Dietrich betrayed her and the church was burned down.

"You should eat it, considering your current health. Your skin is still pale." Cain commented. Then, he smiled again. "Silly me. I haven't told you that you look beautiful today yet."

"Don't waste your breath on things I did not ask you." Esther replied curtly. She finished her tea, deciding to not eat the toast after all.

"Well, you look beautiful."

XXXXX

Dietrich had heard the conversation from the kitchen a few meters away. He and Radu were eating as well in the kitchen next to the dining room where their Lord and "guest" sat. Radu looked up at Dietrich's sullen face and smirked.

"She figured it out, Von Lohengrin."

"I know." Dietrich licked the peanut butter from his fingers. Truthfully, he did not think she would not eat it when he stopped Radu in the middle of cooking and starting making toast on his own. She probably still hated him. The very thought of it made him clench his hands tightly.

"You never told me, by the way," Radu continued, sipping some tea mixed with opium and sugar, a common drink back in the Empire called "Water of Life", "what was Hell like for you?"

Dietrich stared into his black coffee, watching the small bubbles from his spoon swirl in one slow revolution before it stopped. He was about to take a sip from it before Radu gave him a nudge and asked him again.

"Tell me. What was Hell to you?"

"It wasn't like yours." Dietrich sighed, glancing at Radu's bare feet. He knew Radu could not stand being hot anymore. "It was...cold. Very cold. But, there was no one there. No one was yelling or 'gnashing' their teeth, in fact, there was no sound at all." He fingered the spoon left in his drink gingerly.

"What?" Radu was surprised. That was the complete opposite of what he had encountered. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Dietrich's eyes grew dark just thinking about it. "It was like I was in some sort of suspended animation: not breathing, not moving, but I could sense everything. I was empty in a place of emptiness all alone."

A silence fell over the two. They finished their meals and crumbled blood capsules into the last remains of their drinks. Dietrich used three times as many, but Radu did not question it as they drank down their dosages with bitter faces from the taste.

"This is absolutely awful." Dietrich sniffed. His nose was full of the smell of the capsules mixed into his coffee.

"Now you know what we Methuselah have put up with for hundreds of years." Radu chuckled in agreement. After he tasted Esther when he burned her, he had been holding back temptations to have some more real blood. Even he had occasional drinks back in the Empire.

"So, what are you planning on doing then? About Hell, that is." Dietrich frowned, his seriousness renewed.

"I'm going to repent of course." Radu snorted in disbelief at such a question. He could not stand lying to Ion anymore. He wanted to change everything as long as he had this life, but he had to make sure it would pan out correctly for fear of losing this last chance. "You?"

"Same here." Dietrich replied, licking the peanut butter off the knife he used earlier.


End file.
